Football: Whittier hires Visko Ancich as its new football coach

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I just got the official word that Whittier has hired Visko Ancich, as its new football coach, succeeding Walter Scott, who retired from coaching at the end of the season.
Ancich is the son of area legend Marijon Ancich, who retired from St.Paul this past season. Visko was his offensive coordinator for the Swordsmen, who went 7-3.
Whittier rebounded from an 0-10 season in 2010 to finish 5-5 and just miss the playoffs.
I’m off this week, but we will have a story from our SGVN football writer Aram Tolegian.

  • Jesus Christ

    Walter Scott… Coach of the Year.

  • Whittier Fan

    Wow – Visko Ancich. A great coach. List start winning again. Our kids will love his style of play.

  • Steely Don

    Hey Jesus, why don’t you offer yourself up to coach Pioneer? You’re into the self-sacrifice thing, right?

  • BigOso

    Great Hire! It’s a new era for Whittier football. Whittier will no longer lose kids to other schools and there will be a shift power in the Del Rio League. Whittier found their Champion Thoroughbred!

  • del rio fb fan

    hey Whittier fan- you said about Whittier- lets start winning again- oh really? when have they ever won anything?? its been about 50 years- dont get carried away-Santa Fe, Calhi and La Serna will still rule the Del Rio League.

  • reality

    What is this coaches resume other than Dads helper. Is he a walk-on or on the faculty?

  • Condor football

    Mr. Ancich is my chemistry teacher at Cal.
    its kind of funny how i will have to be playing against him in the coming years. I’m only a sophomore so i have two seasons to beat him. But i wonder if whittier will have to change up their traditional Wing-T offense.

  • SP

    Left the Pit in time, Albert Red (North Park) who will be a senior this year is in the suck house according to SP coaches he is a player that has no real talent, to small and skinny. Is a product of the mother dads lack of guidances to blame; mom thought she could let a school raise her kid, first Amat, than SP, wrong. Not much talent.

  • NKOB

    EXCELLENT hire for Whittier HS, they may not win league next year, but they definately will bring a CAN DO attitude and a WILL DO work ethic to the table, and most likely a berth in the Southeast Div playoffs….amazing how stuffy LS, Santa Fe, and even CAL can be in regards to football—but what have any of you folks ever really done in the 14th week???…get em coach!!!!!!!!!

    P.S. we are gonna get you this sat at the Y! :)

    —gabes dad

  • hs football fan

    to Nikob- I dont think its being stuffy to state the facts- La Serna had a great year and I dont think theres anything wrong with getting to the finals and losing to a great W. COVINA team- and CALHI advanced to the semis a few years ago- what has Whittier ever don the last 16 years with the security guard as coach? go 1-9 2-8? check the records over the years and you will see the schools that have dominated the Del Rio League.

  • Riddle me this

    By the comments being made here, I guess it can said Whittier has become an instant threat. Otherwise, some bloggers wouldn’t be compelled to come on here and try to minimize this hiring with their rhetoric. Just for the sake of being one who’s always for the underdog- I’ll be pulling for Whittier just because the others feel threatened now. If the didn’t feel threatened, they wouldn’t care enough to even comment.
    And as for SP- you’re a punk for calling out a young man.

  • NKOB

    hs football fan,

    This isnt a local security guard WHS just hired, and La Serna football has as many championships in football that Cal, SF, and Whittier have….zilch……in the last 50 years? Look, TRY TO BE A GROWN UP for the next 60 seconds, this is step in the right direction for the Cardinals. This is a new beginning for whittier football, this is good for Whittier area football period, and i’m quite certain Coach Ancichs players will leave their mark with their play, and not their mouths….kinda like West Cov did to you. 84 points? who gives up 84 points? in the championship game? at home? How was that cup of STFU?? West Cov made a point of throttling your kids, you just dont get it, but you certainly ate that humble pie that night…cant wait for aug….heres to a stronger Del Rio league…

  • Grow Up

    SP-What a horrible person to come on and hammer a kid without attaching a name to it. Coward. Visko Ancich has good character and a solid coaching background. Good Luck!!

  • HS Fan

    Go Cardinals!

  • hs football fan

    NIKOB- I am certainly not an LS fan- I was just pointing out their accomplishment- Ive followed the league for years- and the security guard comment was referring to Whittiers previous coach- I think ur the one who needs to grow up! If you check the history of the league you will see that SF, LS and CAL have dominated the league- best of luck to your Cardinals- we will see what happens.

  • NKOB

    HS football fan,

    For the record, the Cardinals aren’t my team. Your not the only one around these parts who follows high school football and I just am amazed at the scoffing that goes on from mostly SF,CAL, and LS when they usually fizzle by Thanksgiving. No doubt those teams consistently compete for the DRL championship, but its not like any of them ripped off a 4-peat championship run,….Now with the Willig hiring I hope that Pioneer can lift themselves up and put out a stronger team than we have seen in years…coaching matters….glad you see my point

  • reality strikes

    great hire for Whittier. Those of you that do not think this will make a big consistent difference are wrong. It will.
    The name Ancich will attract and if they win this season watch out.

  • reality strikes

    great hire for Whittier. Those of you that do not think this will make a big consistent difference are wrong. It will.
    The name Ancich will attract and if they win this season watch out.

  • jason strom

    And Condor Football= you will wish he was your coach when Whittier beats you

  • Joe Dankert

    An interesting question that has not been posted is “which team will not make the playoffs when Whittier does…in 2012?”
    La Serna – 2 great years in a row; and I don’t care if they lost by 200 points in the Finals
    Santa Fe..the previous dominant force as far as consistency goes
    or Cal-Hi who has retreated quite a bit since 4 or 5 years of much success.

  • Steely Don

    An even more interesting question is: why are the Whittier administrators forbidding Ancich to hire any assistants who have even remote ties to St Paul? I’m guessing that over 90% of the football people Visko knows and trusts have some amount of Swordsmen history. Do the Whittier people want this coach’s best performance, or some watered-down, politically correct version?

    Obviously, the Whittier administrators want the St Paul treatment, or else they wouldn’t have hired a guy named ANCICH. Keeping former Swordsmen assistants off the staff will not prevent Visko from doing things the St Paul way, it will only slow the implementation of that system. The administrators are pulling this stunt to cover their own butts, not wanting to be blamed if there are problems similar to what Cal High experienced under Dusan Ancich.

  • Whittier

    @ Steely Don, you are correct. Whittier wants a change but is willing to tie the hands of the new head coach and hope for the best.