Football: New Direction is No Direction
View from the Sidelines Column
It's been an interesting year for high school football coaches. Maybe a sad and hard-to- understand year is a better way of describing it.
Over at St. Paul, principal Lori Barr fired coach Pete Gonzalez a year after he won a championship - and didn't offer any explanation, choosing to take the "no comment" route.
Wilson first-year coach Greg Hoyd wasn't fired, but was basically forced to resign after going 1-9 and being transferred from Wilson to another school in the district.
A year after La Puente Coach Ray Hernandez won a league title and coached in the Hall of Fame All-Star game, he butted heads with his own school's administration on how he should discipline players. That led to his resignation.
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Damien fired coach Scott Morrison after two Sierra League championships and four playoff appearances in six seasons, because in the "what have you done for me lately" world we live in, he went 3-7 this past season.
Temple City fired Randy Backus. Then Duarte fired Wardell Crutchfield earlier this week. Crutchfield was one of the winningest football coaches in the school's history.
Crutchfield led the Falcons to the quarterfinals in three of the four years he was there, but was told by principal Eric Barba that the school is moving in a different direction.
Of course, Barba never explained what direction that is.
Then there are those resigning, like longtime South El Monte coach Erick Escamilla, leaving some area coaches wondering what's going on.
"I've never seen it like this before," Rosemead coach Matt Koffler said. "How can all these coaches be getting fired, and how are you going to replace them all with quality coaches given the economic situation we're in? It's just crazy.
"You've had years where a number of coaches have resigned or retired, but nothing like this. I don't understand all the firings. This is a tough profession. High school coaches deal with so much now, it's hard to explain for those who don't do it."
Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar said that after winning the CIF championship in 1985, they had back-to-back winless seasons in 1989 and '90 in which the Chargers went 0-6-3 and 0-10, respectively.
"We didn't do anything different that we did in 1985, but it was a different time back then," Farrar said. "I don't know if they would have been as patient with me today as they were back then.
"After that second winless season, the superintendent and principal took me to lunch and told me to hang in there. It was nice to have people who understood all the hard work that you put in. You need that support; I know it made a difference with me."
What a difference in time. Today, high school coaches are getting fired like major college coaches who have big-time contracts to fall back on.
"We joke all the time that if you averaged the hours we put in compared to the money we make, it would average out to something like five cents an hour," Farrar said.
Crutchfield's firing has been a hot topic on the blogs, with many wondering what principals are thinking when they're firing hard-working coaches because they want to go in a "different direction."
This comment comes from a Crutch supporter, who weighed in on our blog at insidesocal.com/tribpreps:
"Duarte has enjoyed winning seasons for the last four years. Most importantly, Crutchfield has sent four athletes from this small school to Division I colleges on scholarships.
"It is Crutch who guided these players and advised them what classes to take during the school semester, summer school or if they needed to enroll in on-line classes that would qualify them for the NCAA at the D-1 level.
"The football players and their friends would always congregate around Crutch's classroom during lunch, breaks, after school and practice. The atmosphere around his classroom was a feeling of a coach/teacher who was respected and loved by his students/players.
"I can't understand the principal's `new direction.' The only conclusion I can come to is a personality conflict or jealousy - jealous of Crutch's relationship with the players and students. The respect, love and willingness of these football players to succeed is now just a dark cloud hovering over the football field at Duarte High School. It is so sad that the football players and their families are effected and will suffer most because of this decision to fire Coach Crutch."
Arroyo coach Jim Singiser didn't know Crutchfield that well, but he knows that the coaching profession is changing.
"I just wonder, where are they going to get quality coaches to replace all these guys?" Singiser said. "This is a 24-7, seven-day-a-week job. We spend more time with our football team than our own families."
We'll end today's column with breaking news.
Just when you thought South Hills was afraid of playing the big-time heavyweights, coach Steve Bogan surprises everyone by announcing they will take on Pac-5 powerhouse Tesoro.
Because of the uncertainty over the coaching situation at Duarte High School, the Huskies have dropped their Week Three game with the Falcons and have already reportedly signed a contract with Tesoro for what should be a fun-to-watch game at Covina District Field in the middle of September.
This is the same Tesoro that lost to Long Beach Poly in the Pac-5 championship, and should put to rest any kind of thought that South Hills is afraid to take on the big boys.
fred.robledo@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2161
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looks like lucas, the basketball coach, it will be a good hire i think.
Crutchfield's fired at Durate HS..Now MORE Duarte players will being playing at Charter Oaks in the future..
Any news on the AD at Los Altos?
Fred,
What year did Edgewood HS close?
Pasadena, Glendale, Temple City, So El Monte, La Canada and Duarte are without head football coaches at this point. Is Koffler gone as well?
It seems like an abnormally high percentage of dismissals and resignations, especially when clumped only into a December-January time window.
Head football coaches have to remember that they are teachers first! This will always take precedent over coaches who think they are untouchable because they step onto a football field.
Chargerspy,
Sorry to heat about your teammate. Hope he gets back on his feet also. I was Class of '90 at Nogales and I too remember the game against CO in '89. That was a tough game. I didn't remember the tie, I thought we had lost. I remeber the the middle of the filed was muddy.
Hey original tartan. Yes I graduated with Maurice in 1990. He was a great player back in the day! He received a scholarship to play at Cal State Fullerton along with Chad May from Damien. Cal State Fullerton's program disbanded after two years and Maurice ended up not finishing school. He hit some rough times personally and has battled drugs(methamphetamine use) ever since. I'm sad to say that his personal demons have led him in and out of L.A. county jail numerous times. I last saw a picture of him last year living in a men's homeless shelter in Hacienda Heights. What a shame! I hope he is on his way to a sober life! It can happen to anybody! For example, Lawrence Phillips. God Bless!
CHARGERSPY
hey what eats you? cowardly attack on the most winning coach in the Valley Big Lou.
My kids have been on 6 league winners in the last 6 years and CIF champs this year. He isn't the Bear but gets the job done with his staff.
Just win baby"
I might not be a FC fan, but I did not post that last comment.
Hey idiot, if you're going to say something, say it under you're own name.
Don't be a coward and show some balls.
Coaches resign and get fired every year. I don't understand why such a big deal is being made out of it this off-season as oppossed to others.
What it La Puente got Crutchfield. As crazy as it sounds ive heard rumors.
chargerspy,
Interesting comments. I thought those records were wrong. Back in the day I played linebacker at your favorite school Glendora and yes we had some classic Valley battles. Wonder if we ever went heads? I don't know what year you graduated but I am sure you remember a player on your team named Maurice Gee. Whatever happened to that guy? I just remember him being fast and strong and I had a miserable time trying to tackle him all night. I really thought he would go someplace big.
Frank Corona's typical post:
6) Works himself up into a lather about 20 mins into his post and starts typing in bold letters
7) Reminds everyone of his days at Salesian when he was a 10th string lineman and played when the other 9 players in front of him got hurt.
8) Picks one person from the blog and ends his post by typing that person name with fan at the end
9) Like to remind people how much money he has.
Has to dig into his wallet to remove the paint from his car
Priceless.
Hey Fred! Big Lou must be going senile. I played on the Charter Oak 1989 team with his son Dominic and we went 5-5. He was right, in 1990 the team went 0-6-3. Each loss was by six points or less and the three ties were to Baldwin Park led by Richard Robles, Glendora led by J.J. O'Laughline, and Nogales led by Jimmy Hunter. Baldwin Park and Glendora played in the C.I.F. championship game that year at Citrus. The 1990 team wasn't as bad as their record reflected. The 1991 team went 0-10! Big Lou its time to retire and take Dominic with you!! Much of your success has to do with talented players not your coaching. In talking to many former graduates they do not have kind words toward Big Lou or his son. Charter Oak is in need of a change. Salter or Strycula are waiting in the wings!
joemama. Best post I have seen in months!! Hilarious
Frank Corona's typical post:
1). Long drawn out story line
2). Long drawn out story line that’s a tear jerker
3). A moral to the story. Do this, or do that, and god (or someone with big money will provide.
4). Something about his kids
5). Something about his kids having a chance to attend Harvard, Stanford, MIT (etc...) but then choosing the Priesthood instead.
Not usually in a typical Frank Corona Post:
1). Attacking Fred for journalistic integrity
Not in this post today:
1). Green paint on my car
Priceless
Does anyone know if La Puente has hired a coach yet, are they even searching?
It's a sad day...
Coach Rob finally got his chance after waiting and hoping for a long time...
He put forth a lot of time and effort...
Unfortunately, when he got his chance he forget the Golden Rule. He also forgot what high school sports is all about...the kids.
He mistreated many of his coaches, lost the respect of most if not all of his players, and lost the respect of many parents too.
Hopefully this will be a learning experience and he'll remember it if he get's another opportunity in the future.
He wasn't a bad man, but he just forgot to consider the feelings of others and the greater good of the program when he did things.
My sense is that if Dad is out, boys will follow.
The new head coach (yet TBD) will hand-pick his coaches.
Just my thought...
In the know
What about the rest of the Castenada crew (Tim, and Matt) over there at Western? Are they going to stay, or leave?
Add another one to the list...
Coach Rob Castenada at Western Christian was let go today.
This was a good decision though and will benefit the boys.
Believe me, it wasn't a decision based on wins and losses.
It was most likely based on integrity (or lack thereof).
I think Mark Verti deserves another crack at head coaching. These schools should consider calling coach Verti about a job.
I had a conversation with a parent the other day who after complaining about the Head Coach told me, after I asked where his son is going next year, with a staright face..."I'm not sure ...but where ever he's going... he's trying out for the basketball team!"
The kid is a terrible basketball player. He's a selfish, poorly skilled, me first type of player who got way too much attention in his early years in the program and is now bitter driven for lack of playing time.
Where was the complaining when every parent and spector in the gym would yell..."Take him out!" after countless turnovers and poor shot selections?
That's the rub, This kid was sent up to Varsity his So. year and never grew, both as a player and his body and mind as well. That's what happens when you hire poor coaches. Eventually the parents and fans turn on you....and in this case deservedly so.
Coaches need to understand their role and communicate it accordingly. Not every coach is for every school and not every school is for every coach.
Look at Hagerty at Amat this year and look back at his time at Riverside Poly. Know your envoronment.
Fred you'll make a strong argument for "New Direction is No Direction" when that same concept is killing your industry. "The fundamentals are fine"...remember those famous words Fred? The question begs otrage on the part of bloggers and sports nuts.
Maybe it's time to do some real journalistic work Fred and earn your keep instead of asking open ended questions that feed the "blame game" mentality and provoke and insite instead of inform and educate. Sports journalists always get a jounalistic pass. Go along and get along to get a "story".
Maybe people would have been better served by presenting all the mitigating factors that contribute to the tough decisions adminstrators are having to take Fred, especially in these tough economic times.
The world is headed towards a Depression, witha capital "D" and yet people are still in denial...until the pink slip hits their hand.
The 3 papers that "underserve" the San Gabriel Valley should be ONE PAPER. That's why a great writer like Steve Dilbeck got the axe without so much as a whimper.
Quality goes first Fred...you should know that by now. In crisis the bean counters take over..."he's too expensive!" I'm shocked you're still around!
Gano was a visionary coming to Damien. Those that came with him are trying to put their final stamp on an ever increasingly depress state of affairs in sports before the axe comes for them. Wilson, Los Altos and Duarte are first signs of what has been a long simmering cancer in high school sports. Blown out egos and unqualified search committee hires. Blame for everyone around for letting this happen.
In a crisis the best place to put your head is into excellence and innovation rather than in the sand.
I told my son recently when he asked me what I thought of him applying to law school instead of pursuing an MBA....after telling him about several MBA/JD programs across the country I said "never chase the money...become as valuable as you can....the money will come."
Maybe the coaches who got fired lost sight of that. Farrar made mention of this when he spoke about the AD and Principal taking him to "lunch". Farrar was more than a coach and more than his record. Time has proven them right. Faith with oversight and accountability will always pay off...blind faith leads to the Mahoney "issue".
It may be time for coaches to do the little things that made a difference in "KID'S" lives and make themselves more valuable....being a mentor, a solid and respected authority figure, a friend and a task master. But most inportantly coaches need to be honest with themselves , as do we all, and ask themselves...."Is this in the best interest of the kids?"
of course we only hear the coaches lament, the administration is afraid to comment, usually afraid of litigation, but it's safe to say that successful football coaches get pretty cocky and full of themselves, kinda forgetting the overall importance in the academic setting that they are in, yes they work ungodly long hours but very few are committed to the classroom in the same manner as they are on the field, I've seen first hand coaches acting as if they run the school and then they complain when they get axed, lots of parents don't want their kids in a coaches academic class feeling they will get short changed in learning........last thought on bogan finally growing a pair and playing tesoro it's a 1 time deal don't look for him to play someone every year as good as tesoro.........think back to grandpa lou at co and he thought he could beat amat, they got whupped twice and amat was in a down cycle too, do you see co playing any big, legitimate powers now? look for the same from sh
One last thought, on finding replacement coaches. With the reckless homicide charge brought upon the Kentucky coach, one would have to think every high school coach is looking at that outcome. I know that if I was a coach and that verdict comes back guilty, I would have to ask myself if I want to be liable for something that might be out of my control.
First congratulations on the weekly column.
And I do have to reiterate what Arroyo coach Jim Singiser said, where are they going to find quality coaches to replace these guys? It's not like there are a thousand Ganos sitting out there. Plus with all the state budget mess how long before some of these schools start cutting their athletic programs? Although, I would say that for most schools football would be the absolute last program to be cut.