“It’s very much a coincidence. Everybody can say what they want, but I have to go through the same process as everybody else that applied for the job. Let the naysayers fall where they may.” — Anthony Rice on rumors he was offered the job while Johnny Brown was still the head coach.

Above: Colony football preparing for a game, but next season, they will be without coach Anthony Rice, who could be headed to Pomona

By Clay Fowler, Staff Writer
After two CIF championships in his four years at Colony High School, head football coach Anthony Rice resigned Tuesday, with his sights set on the head coaching job at Pomona High School. Rice, 35, desires an administrative position, something that appears difficult to obtain at Colony amidst the financial crisis. (To continue, click thread)

His Jan. 25 application for the Pomona head coaching position isn’t Rice’s only link to the job, according to former Pomona head football coach John Brown.

After one year as coach, Brown resigned Jan. 8 on the premise that Rice was offered the Pomona head coaching position behind Brown’s back, a claim Rice and Pomona principal Roger Fasting denied.

Rice said he was never offered the head coaching position, but shortly after the season ended in November, Pomona athletic director Tom Sweeney contacted him about an offensive coordinator position under Brown.

Brown’s resignation and Rice’s application for the Pomona head coaching position are not related, according to Rice.

“It’s very much a coincidence,” Rice said. “Everybody can say what they want, but I have to go through the same process as everybody else that applied for the job. Let the naysayers fall where they may.”

Colony made the playoffs this season for the fourth consecutive time under Rice, who won back-to-back CIF-SS Central Division championships in 2006 and 2007, his first two years as a head coach.

Rice resigned a day before 14 Colony football players signed letters of intent to play college football.

The Pomona program, which hasn’t produced a playoff team since 2003, posted a 6-4 record in 2008, its lone season under Brown. An assistant coach at Pomona from 1996 to 2004, Brown rejoined the Red Devils staff as the defensive coordinator in 2008 before accepting a promotion to head coach prior to last season.

After hearing rumors that his job was being shopped around by Sweeney, Brown phoned Rice, whom he said confirmed that he was offered Brown’s job in November.

“They asked Rice if he had interest in the (Pomona head coaching) job and they offered him the job,” Brown said. “I know this because Rice told me.”

Rice acknowledges having the conversation with Brown but said he never told Brown he was offered the Pomona head coaching position.

“I was never offered his job,” Rice said Tuesday. “Tom (Sweeney) was talking to me about being the offensive coordinator and I just laughed it off. It was kind of a joke. I’m already a head coach, so why would I go be an offensive coordinator? He was kind of serious about it but I just laughed it off.”

Rice has interest in head coaching vacancies at Rancho Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco and Los Altos high schools but has not applied.

He has not yet received a call back regarding his application to Pomona and will continue to teach physical education at Colony for now.