Wilson coaching carousel continues, Aram reporting that football coach Bob Burt resigns
Nick Christos, the Wildcats' assistant head coach in charge of the offensive line, immediately was named as Burt's replacement. Christos becomes the fourth head coach at Wilson since Robert Oviedo resigned in 2007.
The Wildcats went 1-9 last season and won only their final game of the season against Baldwin Park.
"What the administration asked me to do was get the thing straightened away from the standpoint of just attitude and discipline and guys getting in fights on the field and getting thrown out of the games and unsportsmanlike conduct (penalties)," Burt said. "We accomplished that. When they hired me, they had a full-time physical education teacher position open and they said if you come in and do this you can bring in whoever you want to take over whenever you decide to step down.
"Nick is ready. I had him in on every administrative decision and all those things. It's a very smooth transition. He's a good football coach."
Burt replaced former head coach Brian Zavala, who resigned last January amid allegations of recruiting violations and the school district hiring a private investigator to investigate his conduct. The investigation found no wrongdoing, according to a statement last January by Hacienda-La Puente Unified Asst. Superintendent in charge of Human Resources Rob Roberts.
Burt, who was 69 when hired last March, said the team's on-field struggles had nothing to do with his decision and he has not ruled out a return to coaching in some capacity this upcoming season. Burt, who is retired from teaching, lives in Hemet and made the nearly two-hour trek to Hacienda Heights daily.
"One and nine had absolutely nothing to do with it," Burt said. "Anybody who knows me knows 1-9 would make me want to come back. I've never had a season like that in my life. It's not about 1-9. If that was the only thing it was about, I would still be there.
"I think I'm leaving it (the program) in good hands and good shape."
The 2011 season was Wilson's second in the Valle Vista League and CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division. The Wildcats got relief from CIF prior to the 2010 season after becoming increasingly overmatched in the now-defunct Miramonte League and Southeast Division. Wilson, however, has won just two league games since the move.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/preps/ci_19710035#ixzz1j4McWM8n
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Miguel Melendez's prep blog
In the Huddle
ESPN
OC Varsity
San Bernardino Sun Preps
LA times Varsity Blog
Daily Bulletin Preps
Whittier Daily News Preps
LA Daily News Preps
Long Beach Press Telegram Preps
Daily Breeze Preps
Dyestat Track and Cross Country
MaxPreps
Rivals.Com
College Level Athletes
Hey Z, You must dumbest person on the blog ever. Zavala is a horrible head coach period.
Zavala come home
Will say this much Burt stepping down had zero to do with the boosters or parents, strictly selfish reasons.
I agree with observation #3
Sad to see what's happened to a once proud program. I played there during the glory days of the late 90's and it kills me that Wilson has fallen so low. For what it's worth, here are some observations:
1) Wildcats need to get someone with connections to the school to take over. If they're smart they beg Oviedo to come back and take over. They don't need an outsider, they need someone who loves the school and the community.
2) The Principal and administration need to throw their full support behind whoever they hire. Anything less than 100% will result in parents and players seeing cracks in the wall of authority. This = Failure!
3) The parents/boosters at Wilson have become a cancer. Whoever takes over the head position needs to desolve the entire booster program and run everything through their ASB office. When you allow parents to have a say in how money is spent, they begin to think they deserve a say in everything else with the program.
4) Schedule down for the next few years in your preseason so you can get some wins. I don't care if you have to play St. Lucia's Boarding School for the Legally Blind! You can't go 1-9 every year and expect kids to buy into your program! Winning does wonders for confidence and confidence does wonders for winning...it's a cycle!
Just my two cents. Take it for what it is, the humble opinion of a once proud alum.