Which coach maxs out their program's success?

[Streak One]

Interesting topic for the offseason. What coach maxs out their program the most as opposed to programs that have shown more success with multipe coaches?

For example, Mike Leech at Texas Tech vs. a school like Ohio State that has been one of the nation's best with multiple coaches.

 

[ThunderRam]

I’d offer Casey Taylor‘s name. He’s made almost every program he’s coached better than they were previously, and does so while typically scheduling the toughest competition that he can.

I say “almost” because Inderkum was an exception. They were better before he got there and didn’t really hit stride under his short-term leadership there.

While not coaching currently, I’d place Terry Stark in the same category as Coach Taylor. IMO, they are two of the very best HC’s in the SJS and have been for a couple decades.

A couple other names that come to mind are Trent Merzon, even though he just retired last year, and even though he’s been retired for a decade you have to place Bob Ladouceur at the top of the list historically considering he built DLS up from almost nothing. He set the impossibly high bar for which everyone else has been striving.

 

[rwccaptain42]

Mark Grieb and staff at Sacred Heart Prep Atherton. about 250 boys. Swimming program and Lacrosse top programs. Most kids play 2 or even 3 sports there... Football is 3rd most of the time

 

[LecheDeMiPalo]

Mark Grieb and staff at Sacred Heart Prep Atherton. about 250 boys. Swimming program and Lacrosse top programs. Most kids play 2 or even 3 sports there... Football is 3rd most of the time

Grieb is good and a good man. But Pete Lavorato was a motherf….r!!!!!

Keith Holden at Half Moon Bay should be a top of this list as well.

 

[THEOC89]

Herc Pardi is a coach that comes to my mind…. Best known as the last Coach to Beat DLS for the NCS title, He also had a 15 or so year run at CVC….

He completely turned the program around, went to some NCS title games and was in the playoffs almost every year….He built the foundation for everything Tim Murphy did at CVC and back then CVC wasn’t yet a Charter school….

CVC FB was nothing before Herc Got there…. He also coached Baseball and helped re-vamp the Baseball program there as well, but that might have been after he retired from coaching FB…. A truly great leader and mentor of young men….

 

[MTsince2004]

Obvious bias alert on this one:

I think you can objectively make an argument regarding TJ Ewing at Monterey Trail.

He is the only head football coach in the school's history, so there is no way to make any kind of comparison there.

However, when the comparisons are made within the city of Elk Grove, the SJS, and Nor Cal he stacks up pretty well.

Monterey Trail is consistently one of the top football programs in Elk Grove. Many years it has had the best overall team, and it has been a long time since anyone would consider it in the bottom three within the school district. Yet MT is not the largest school in the district as far as enrollment. It's usually somewhere around the 4th spot. It is also generally in the bottom four in regards to the affluence of the student population and is in fact a Title I school. We all know that money can very much matter in football.

In the SJS, MT has competed for championships since the 2009 season with five appearances in the last 15 years. During that time, Monterey Trail has had quite a few bracket-busting playoff wins and has consistently outperformed expectations.

As far as competing in Nor Cal, Ewing isn't afraid to schedule at the top level. Last season MT was neck and neck with De La Salle in the 4th quarter and scored a convincing win against St. Francis. Previous out-of-section games have also been successful and have demonstrated the depth of the SJS when competing against the NCS and CCS.

Anyway, there's a quick reference. I could get more detailed with off-season workouts, roster sizes, the weightlifting program, two and three-sport athletes, stability of the coaching staff, etc. Ewing does a good job and helps his players get as close as possible to their full potential.

 

[Streak One]

Some good names here for sure. I looked at it as if Casey left Oak Ridge, Mark left SHP, Keith left HMB, TJ left Monterey Trail and those schools hired a new coach, would the programs stay at or near the same level or would there be a drop off? Out of that group, I would think Keith fits that bill and probably TJ at Monterey Trail.

I think you have seen this too at Del Oro after Casey left. They have had some good years but there has been a noticeable drop since he left.

Other name I would throw out there are Michael Peters (McClymonds) and potenially Patrick Walsh at Serra.

He has since moved on but what John Heffernan did at Burbank certainly applies to this discussion.

 

[Macallan]

Context matters. Otherwise, without context, one could say that Tom Verner should be on said list, as Franklin (Stockton) hasn't been relevant since his departure. With that said...

Catt
Heff
Lad
Ewing
Franks
Plaa
Peterson
Stark

are in a class of themselves.

 

[ThunderRam]

Inderkum hasn’t been at the same consistent level since Stark left. They haven’t fallen off a cliff or anything but they haven’t been near as good.

Regardless, I think a program not falling off too much or at all isn’t the greatest benchmark because sometimes the coach and staff that built it up did such a great job that the ship continues to sail even if the coach and staff that takes over isn’t at the same level and couldn’t have built the brand themselves.

Sometimes the brand (or geographic area) just keeps the most talented kids coming through.

DLS and Folsom are great examples of this.

Alumbaugh isn’t the coach Lad was and now that Eidson and others have stepped down we’re starting to see a bit of a slip in their dominance. But on the whole the program still draws great players and is a NorCal contender every year.

Same goes for Folsom. The current staff can’t hold a candle to Taylor, Richardson and the others that left to Sac State. Yet the machine keeps rolling because the brand name and geographic location continues to draw in top athletes.

It’ll be curious to see what happens at Oakdale with Merzon retiring, but I suspect any downturn to be minimal assuming they keep the current system in place because Oakdale is still a brand name in that area and the most talented kids will likely opt to go there versus the lesser programs in the area.

Central Catholic also maintains success despite coaching changes over the decades for the same reasons. The brand and history were set a long time ago.

It’s more so when a coach leaves a lesser established program lacking a lot of tradition and history of success where it tends to crash harder.

Or when they don’t hand the reigns over to the right person to keep the system in place. Or when the geographic area goes through a massive change. See Nevada Union and to a lesser extent Grant Union.

Otherwise these programs tend to remain more status quo.

Another program I can point to is Cordova, which preceded Folsom’s success in the same school district and geographic area.

The brand was built by Dewey Guerra and Ron Lancaster, who led the program to a National best 106 wins (iirc) and a mythical National title in 1970’s then left and were replaced by Max Miller who was able to keep that ship sailing as one of NorCal’s best until Mather AFB closed in 1993 thus altering the athletes coming into the program.

It took another 15 years for the area to build up again until Folsom took the highway 50 corridor torch and ran with it.

 

[larry legend33]

I’d offer Casey Taylor‘s name. He’s made almost every program he’s coached better than they were previously, and does so while typically scheduling the toughest competition that he can.

I say “almost” because Inderkum was an exception. They were better before he got there and didn’t really hit stride under his short-term leadership there.

While not coaching currently, I’d place Terry Stark in the same category as Coach Taylor. IMO, they are two of the very best HC’s in the SJS and have been for a couple decades.

A couple other names that come to mind are Trent Merzon, even though he just retired last year, and even though he’s been retired for a decade you have to place Bob Ladouceur at the top of the list historically considering he built DLS up from almost nothing. He set the impossibly high bar for which everyone else has been striving.

Casey great examples TR. Look out for those Trojans this year. Strong team back.

 

[Footballgrind]

Honestly very disappointed by these answers. The truth is it’s a coach at the lower B or C level who no one knows. At a non Football school with kids that never played until their freshman/sophomore year. Teaching them the game, grinding to 3-4 wins a year.

 

[THEOC89]

Honestly very disappointed by these answers. The truth is it’s a coach at the lower B or C level who no one knows. At a non Football school with kids that never played until their freshman/sophomore year. Teaching them the game, grinding to 3-4 wins a year.

That’s because 3-4 wins a year is not “Maxing out a Program’s Success”…. That’s called nobody cares about the FB program and the Coach is no good….

Any coach who has any kind of talent or ability will mix in at least a 7-8 win year every few years because he is a good coach and kids buy into what he is doing and they work hard…..

Otherwise that Good Coach will go somewhere else that supports the program….All good Coaches are very Competitive and want their teams to reflect that…. No coach is satisfied and happy winning 3-4 games a year…. Doesn’t make sense to even play FB at that point….

 

[Macallan]

Inderkum hasn’t been at the same consistent level since Stark left. They haven’t fallen off a cliff or anything but they haven’t been near as good.

Regardless, I think a program not falling off too much or at all isn’t the greatest benchmark because sometimes the coach and staff that built it up did such a great job that the ship continues to sail even if the coach and staff that takes over isn’t at the same level and couldn’t have built the brand themselves.

Sometimes the brand (or geographic area) just keeps the most talented kids coming through.

DLS and Folsom are great examples of this.

Alumbaugh isn’t the coach Lad was and now that Eidson and others have stepped down we’re starting to see a bit of a slip in their dominance. But on the whole the program still draws great players and is a NorCal contender every year.

Same goes for Folsom. The current staff can’t hold a candle to Taylor, Richardson and the others that left to Sac State. Yet the machine keeps rolling because the brand name and geographic location continues to draw in top athletes.

It’ll be curious to see what happens at Oakdale with Merzon retiring, but I suspect any downturn to be minimal assuming they keep the current system in place because Oakdale is still a brand name in that area and the most talented kids will likely opt to go there versus the lesser programs in the area.

Central Catholic also maintains success despite coaching changes over the decades for the same reasons. The brand and history were set a long time ago.

It’s more so when a coach leaves a lesser established program lacking a lot of tradition and history of success where it tends to crash harder.

Or when they don’t hand the reigns over to the right person to keep the system in place. Or when the geographic area goes through a massive change. See Nevada Union and to a lesser extent Grant Union.

Otherwise these programs tend to remain more status quo.

Another program I can point to is Cordova, which preceded Folsom’s success in the same school district and geographic area.

The brand was built by Dewey Guerra and Ron Lancaster, who led the program to a National best 106 wins (iirc) and a mythical National title in 1970’s then left and were replaced by Max Miller who was able to keep that ship sailing as one of NorCal’s best until Mather AFB closed in 1993 thus altering the athletes coming into the program.

It took another 15 years for the area to build up again until Folsom took the highway 50 corridor torch and ran with it.

Well said. You stated many details that were in my head, but chose to simplify. Also, my mistake for not naming Stark at Indy. As Indy has not been the same since that staff left. And, one would also have to take into account Stark's time at Natomas, during and after, and would have a very difficult time not adding Stark's name to the proverbial list.

 

[dcpanda]

That’s because 3-4 wins a year is not “Maxing out a Program’s Success”…. That’s called nobody cares about the FB program and the Coach is no good….

Any coach who has any kind of talent or ability will mix in at least a 7-8 win year every few years because he is a good coach and kids buy into what he is doing and they work hard…..

Otherwise that Good Coach will go somewhere else that supports the program….All good Coaches are very Competitive and want their teams to reflect that…. No coach is satisfied and happy winning 3-4 games a year…. Doesn’t make sense to even play FB at that point….

Buy in and hard work do not equal 7-8 wins. You need good athletes.

 

[Azanna]

Inderkum hasn’t been at the same consistent level since Stark left. They haven’t fallen off a cliff or anything but they haven’t been near as good.

Regardless, I think a program not falling off too much or at all isn’t the greatest benchmark because sometimes the coach and staff that built it up did such a great job that the ship continues to sail even if the coach and staff that takes over isn’t at the same level and couldn’t have built the brand themselves.

Sometimes the brand (or geographic area) just keeps the most talented kids coming through.

DLS and Folsom are great examples of this.

Alumbaugh isn’t the coach Lad was and now that Eidson and others have stepped down we’re starting to see a bit of a slip in their dominance. But on the whole the program still draws great players and is a NorCal contender every year.

Same goes for Folsom. The current staff can’t hold a candle to Taylor, Richardson and the others that left to Sac State. Yet the machine keeps rolling because the brand name and geographic location continues to draw in top athletes.

It’ll be curious to see what happens at Oakdale with Merzon retiring, but I suspect any downturn to be minimal assuming they keep the current system in place because Oakdale is still a brand name in that area and the most talented kids will likely opt to go there versus the lesser programs in the area.

Central Catholic also maintains success despite coaching changes over the decades for the same reasons. The brand and history were set a long time ago.

It’s more so when a coach leaves a lesser established program lacking a lot of tradition and history of success where it tends to crash harder.

Or when they don’t hand the reigns over to the right person to keep the system in place. Or when the geographic area goes through a massive change. See Nevada Union and to a lesser extent Grant Union.

Otherwise these programs tend to remain more status quo.

Another program I can point to is Cordova, which preceded Folsom’s success in the same school district and geographic area.

The brand was built by Dewey Guerra and Ron Lancaster, who led the program to a National best 106 wins (iirc) and a mythical National title in 1970’s then left and were replaced by Max Miller who was able to keep that ship sailing as one of NorCal’s best until Mather AFB closed in 1993 thus altering the athletes coming into the program.

It took another 15 years for the area to build up again until Folsom took the highway 50 corridor torch and ran with it.

Oh I think Grant is just fine

 

[colhenrylives]

Moro at South City. Returning to a program he led successfully, he immediately rescued the Warriors in 2022 after several absolutely disastrous seasons. South City was so bad prior to his comeback, the varsity was placed on hiatus in 2021.

 

[BigMann08]

Coach Al from Grant should probably be at the top of this list. He took Grant football to elite status. National rankings, many section championships, open state championship, tons of NFL players, 100’s of college football athletes, and several legendary teams.

He brought a certain level of organization to a program that had incredible talent but had never won a championship prior to him showing up.

Navigating through North Sacramento is no easy task. There’s a lot of community/family love and commitment in North Sac but the area also comes with the elements of increased poverty, drugs, gangs, crime etc.

He got kids from rival neighborhoods, (some even rival gangs), to put aside the street politics and buy in. Not an easy task…

Another brilliant move was getting the Polynesian kids to play football. Many of the Polynesian kids were playing rugby at the park.

He has his flaws like every coach but he is at the top of the list when it comes to Sacramento football… Especially the city of Sac….

 

[Coach4851]

When I think about "Maxes out program's success" I immediately think about coaches that do the most with the absolute least. I can only speak to CCS but I do feel pretty strongly about it:

#1 Hands Down, Randy Blankenship of Aptos. No one does more with less. You pull up the film and seldomly are they bigger and/or more athletic team yet he trounces his opponents time after time. I personally think you'll be hard pressed to find a better answer. They're just functionally strong technicians who are incredible with the details. 2021 if you saw Aptos walking off the bus to play St. Francis, you would had never thought they would of had that VERY talented SF team on the ropes going into the 4th quarter.

#2 Keith Holden of HMB: You can use a lot of the same reasons as I did with Randy except Keith is consistently fielding lower rosters. Anyone remember in 2019 when they suited up like 27 kids and played Serra on a Saturday and ate up the entire 1st quarter just chunking them away for an eventual TD. Nothing but respect for Holden. Does an incredible job and his incredible community/district supports him like none I have ever seen.

#3 Kevin Collins of Lincoln (San Jose, CA): Collins would be in these conversations more if Lincoln didn't play in the Thanksgiving version of the Big Bone Game the first 30+ years of his career at Lincoln. Doesn't get the size year in and year out to compete at the top of the A but when you see his teams, he has always found a way to do more with less. His teams are small, scrappy but disciplined groups that just wear out opponents.

#4 Frank Moro of SSF: I echo the same things above. SSF has been abysmal since he left. Purgatory bad. His first year back in 2022 was enough to warrant a Coach of the Year award. Winning in those conditions is so much harder than people realize. No one wants to coach your program if it is a losing program. No one at your school wants to play if it is a losing program. Keeping kids eligible to finish a 10-game season and being competitive for 1/2 of the games was probably the barometer for a "successful year 1" and he far exceeded it.

 

[scvalfan]

When I think about "Maxes out program's success" I immediately think about coaches that do the most with the absolute least. I can only speak to CCS but I do feel pretty strongly about it:

#1 Hands Down, Randy Blankenship of Aptos. No one does more with less. You pull up the film and seldomly are they bigger and/or more athletic team yet he trounces his opponents time after time. I personally think you'll be hard pressed to find a better answer. They're just functionally strong technicians who are incredible with the details. 2021 if you saw Aptos walking off the bus to play St. Francis, you would had never thought they would of had that VERY talented SF team on the ropes going into the 4th quarter.

#2 Keith Holden of HMB: You can use a lot of the same reasons as I did with Randy except Keith is consistently fielding lower rosters. Anyone remember in 2019 when they suited up like 27 kids and played Serra on a Saturday and ate up the entire 1st quarter just chunking them away for an eventual TD. Nothing but respect for Holden. Does an incredible job and his incredible community/district supports him like none I have ever seen.

#3 Kevin Collins of Lincoln (San Jose, CA): Collins would be in these conversations more if Lincoln didn't play in the Thanksgiving version of the Big Bone Game the first 30+ years of his career at Lincoln. Doesn't get the size year in and year out to compete at the top of the A but when you see his teams, he has always found a way to do more with less. His teams are small, scrappy but disciplined groups that just wear out opponents.

#4 Frank Moro of SSF: I echo the same things above. SSF has been abysmal since he left. Purgatory bad. His first year back in 2022 was enough to warrant a Coach of the Year award. Winning in those conditions is so much harder than people realize. No one wants to coach your program if it is a losing program. No one at your school wants to play if it is a losing program. Keeping kids eligible to finish a 10-game season and being competitive for 1/2 of the games was probably the barometer for a "successful year 1" and he far exceeded it.

Great coaches on there! Collins is so overlooked and has been committed to the Lincoln community for 25 years. On a side note, I believe both Blankenship and Collins have utilized versions of the Wing-T.

 

[ThunderRam]

Oh I think Grant is just fine

Going forward in D3 and the weak Metro, maybe. But otherwise, they have not been "just fine".

They've been nowhere near the program they were from the early 80's through 2010. Which was precisely the point in mentioning them. If you'd like to present a counter argument, by all means please do. But the numbers and facts don't lie.

Since their last premier team in 2010, they've gone 77-53 -- including FIVE losing seasons -- during the 11 seasons since. Not terrible by many programs standards, but nowhere near Grant Union Pacers standards.

Over the past 5 seasons -- including the 2 games played during the Spring of 2021 -- they've gone 24-32. Half of those 24 wins came just last season. In D3. Where they've never played before.

The main point was, GHS suffered a let down just like Nevada Union did after 2010. For different reasons, but still -- a huge down turn.

You claim they are just fine, but what does that mean? The season prior to their D3 run last season, they were 0-9. That's a losing streak that hadn't happened to them since the mid-1950's.

Considering their slide since 2011 and their really poor record the past 5 seasons, it'll take a lot more than one 7-2 season in the Metro and a 5-0 run through D3 competition to show that they're just fine.

This coming from a staunch fan and supporter of "Pacers Nation" and their program.

 

[ThunderRam]

Coach Al from Grant should probably be at the top of this list. He took Grant football to elite status. National rankings, many section championships, open state championship, tons of NFL players, 100’s of college football athletes, and several legendary teams.

He brought a certain level of organization to a program that had incredible talent but had never won a championship prior to him showing up.

Navigating through North Sacramento is no easy task. There’s a lot of community/family love and commitment in North Sac but the area also comes with the elements of increased poverty, drugs, gangs, crime etc.

He got kids from rival neighborhoods, (some even rival gangs), to put aside the street politics and buy in. Not an easy task…

Another brilliant move was getting the Polynesian kids to play football. Many of the Polynesian kids were playing rugby at the park.

He has his flaws like every coach but he is at the top of the list when it comes to Sacramento football… Especially the city of Sac….

For the most part, I agree with you.

I played against GHS during the late 80's when Bob Vukajlovich was the HC and Coach AL was the DC.

They were a very good program back in those days, as Coach Vuk's teams went 112-47-2 during his time at the helm. But as you said, they never won anything nor were they anywhere near the program that they'd eventually become once Coach AL took over.

The best team they had under Coach Vuk was their 1987 squad with Aaron Garcia at QB (a team my team played) and that team was upset in the Section Semi's by Yuba City.

The Pacers won their 1st section title in year 2 under Coach AL and closed out the 90's winning 3 section titles in 8 seasons. They ended up winning 7 section titles in total under Coach AL's leadership. 4 in D1 and 3 at D2.

Clearly the program started to trend downward with Coach AL still at the helm, but until they rise from the ashes to compete at or near the same level as before -- he definitely deserves all the credit you've given him and he certainly fits the scenario @Streak One outlined.

 

[ThunderRam]

When I think about "Maxes out program's success" I immediately think about coaches that do the most with the absolute least. I can only speak to CCS but I do feel pretty strongly about it:

#1 Hands Down, Randy Blankenship of Aptos. No one does more with less. You pull up the film and seldomly are they bigger and/or more athletic team yet he trounces his opponents time after time. I personally think you'll be hard pressed to find a better answer. They're just functionally strong technicians who are incredible with the details. 2021 if you saw Aptos walking off the bus to play St. Francis, you would had never thought they would of had that VERY talented SF team on the ropes going into the 4th quarter.

Blank is another great example. A guy I've championed many times on this forum. Like Coach AL and GHS, my team/school was in the same league as Nevada Union back when Coach Blankenship was leading the Miners program.

While NU had historically been a good program before he got there, Blank laid the groundwork for the program Dave Humphers took over and lifted to an even higher level. I'll bet Coach Humphers would say he learned a lot coaching with him. He sure kept the wing-t system and youth programs in place.

After leaving NU, Blank headed down to the Fresno area to head up Clovis West. Then Fallbrook, then Capistrano Valley, then Madera, and now Aptos.

I think you'll find that he succeeded at most those places. Glad to see him still coaching and having success after all these decades.

 

[zebs]

Terry Stark had some success with mira loma with a team that can barely field a team now. He maxed out there talent. He does a great job everywhere he goes. Casey is a great coach as well. We do have to remember that DO doesn't allow students from out of the district anymore. So therefore they don't draw as much talent as they did during Casey's tenure. I have had the opportunity to coach with Terry and work with Casey. Both great guys.

Joe Cattolico has gotten the most out of his programs from everywhere he has been. Now that he is at a premier program doesn't mean he still doesn't max out his talent. Tony Martello always did a tremendous job maxing out talent at Colfax. Mike Dimino did a lot with his teams over the years. I coached 25 years so I can go on and on.

 

[BigMann08]

For the most part, I agree with you.

I played against GHS during the late 80's when Bob Vukajlovich was the HC and Coach AL was the DC.

They were a very good program back in those days, as Coach Vuk's teams went 112-47-2 during his time at the helm. But as you said, they never won anything nor were they anywhere near the program that they'd eventually become once Coach AL took over.

The best team they had under Coach Vuk was their 1987 squad with Aaron Garcia at QB (a team my team played) and that team was upset in the Section Semi's by Yuba City.

The Pacers won their 1st section title in year 2 under Coach AL and closed out the 90's winning 3 section titles in 8 seasons. They ended up winning 7 section titles in total under Coach AL's leadership. 4 in D1 and 3 at D2.

Clearly the program started to trend downward with Coach AL still at the helm, but until they rise from the ashes to compete at or near the same level as before -- he definitely deserves all the credit you've given him and he certainly fits the scenario @Streak One outlined.

I misread streaks initial post. Grant will do just fine under the new coaching staff. We saw a glimpse of it this past season.

As you pointed out, they had success under Vuk and Al. And from all accounts are having success with the new staff—The state championship is proof.

 

[hecanfoos]

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned Mike Papadopoulos
Coach Pop gets every bit of potential out of his team every year.

 

[zebs]

Mike Morris at Rio Linda got a lot out of those players for a long time. His long time assistant Jack Garceau was able to win the state title with them and since it has been a struggle.

 

[ThunderRam]

Grant will do just fine under the new coaching staff. We saw a glimpse of it this past season.

We also saw a glimpse of 0-9 the season before.

As you pointed out, they had success under Vuk and Al. And from all accounts are having success with the new staff—The state championship is proof.

It’s no more proof than 0-9 was.

The Pacers slide has been over a decade in the making. And they’ve dropped from D1 juggernaut for most their existence to a D3 program. That says a lot. Things have changed. Drastically. Which was the point I made from the beginning,

With the types of athletes and lineman they’ve fielded historically, they better be able to succeed at the D3 level. In fact, they should overwhelm most D3 programs.

The problem has been that they aren’t fielding the depth of talent that they used to. And their enrollment has been dropping. Having Syd Thompson on the staff looks to have helped, but I’m not yet convinced this new staff is going to consistently succeed in the long run. We shall see. They sure have a much better chance in the Metro and at D3, if that’s where they stay.

But the days of being a top 3 SJS program, let alone the absolute best, appear to be over.

 

[WCAL75]

Going forward in D3 and the weak Metro, maybe. But otherwise, they have not been "just fine".

They've been nowhere near the program they were from the early 80's through 2010. Which was precisely the point in mentioning them. If you'd like to present a counter argument, by all means please do. But the numbers and facts don't lie.

Since their last premier team in 2010, they've gone 77-53 -- including FIVE losing seasons -- during the 11 seasons since. Not terrible by many programs standards, but nowhere near Grant Union Pacers standards.

Over the past 5 seasons -- including the 2 games played during the Spring of 2021 -- they've gone 24-32. Half of those 24 wins came just last season. In D3. Where they've never played before.

The main point was, GHS suffered a let down just like Nevada Union did after 2010. For different reasons, but still -- a huge down turn.

You claim they are just fine, but what does that mean? The season prior to their D3 run last season, they were 0-9. That's a losing streak that hadn't happened to them since the mid-1950's.

Considering their slide since 2011 and their really poor record the past 5 seasons, it'll take a lot more than one 7-2 season in the Metro and a 5-0 run through D3 competition to show that they're just fine.

This coming from a staunch fan and supporter of "Pacers Nation" and their program.

 

[WCAL75]

Oops, it’s out of season rust. As much as I like TR this a quick spin. What football family of coaches has made a dramatic impact over generations.I would have to go with Calcagno brothers and sons for saint francis.it’s obvious that privates get the talent but that family has been doing this for 40 years now. Even though it’s a little off topic a felt that it deserved a shout out

 

[WCAL75]

In other news Saint Francis is building a new 100 million dollar sporting complex.

 

[colhenrylives]

In other news Saint Francis is building a new 100 million dollar sporting complex.

The facilities they have now aren't too shabby.

 

[Rocknrolus 95361]

Mark Loureiro no thinks he should be in here? Sure I don't think Mark or Trent would be as successful at any other school. But as far as getting ths most out of the athletes they have? If you go to many Oakdale games? You won't see any D1 athletes! Merzon was just a leader. Mark and Trent are just developer's of men.

 

[BigMann08]

We also saw a glimpse of 0-9 the season before.




It’s no more proof than 0-9 was.

The Pacers slide has been over a decade in the making. And they’ve dropped from D1 juggernaut for most their existence to a D3 program. That says a lot. Things have changed. Drastically. Which was the point I made from the beginning,

With the types of athletes and lineman they’ve fielded historically, they better be able to succeed at the D3 level. In fact, they should overwhelm most D3 programs.

The problem has been that they aren’t fielding the depth of talent that they used to. And their enrollment has been dropping. Having Syd Thompson on the staff looks to have helped, but I’m not yet convinced this new staff is going to consistently succeed in the long run. We shall see. They sure have a much better chance in the Metro and at D3, if that’s where they stay.

But the days of being a top 3 SJS program, let alone the absolute best, appear to be over.

Let’s give them time to build. Given the changes and implementations that were installed last season, I would argue that they are off to an impressive start.

The Exodus had to happen: A lot of families (rightfully so) left the program during the latter years of Al's coaching campaign. They participated in JR Pacer football but chose to attend highschool at various schools throughought Nor Cal. I truly believe that this was part of the reason that coach Al was dismissed. You looked up and saw a host of our top kids at Folsom, Capital Christian, Inderkum, Granite Bay, and even Serra (San Mateo). The mass exodus brought abrupt coaching/personell changes....

If the exodus stops, Grant should be a force to reckon with. And yes adding Syd Thompson along with other talented coaches (new/tenured) was a great move....

2022 Season

The 2022 season was special to the players, coaches and community. It was a year of celebration! The players and coaches worked hard! They implemented new organizational changes and morale was extremely high! The stands were packed and the people are excited to see what the future holds.

We've won an Open State Championship, several Div 1 and 2 sectional titles and recently added D3 section/state championship trophies to the collection. We celebrate them all the same!

-----Again, give the coaches and the program some time...


Top 3 SJS program:
It's really not that farfetched to see them back at the top of SJS football.

We knew for years that the 2022 football team was going to be a special group of kids. We saw this developing at the youth football level. For they dominated top competition across the nation....

Several of the top athletes from that 13u (class of 2023/4) team ended up attending: Folsom, Granite Bay, Capital Christian, Inderkum, Serra, etc. And they all helped guide those teams to the post season (section/norcal/state).

I argue that if these kids had played HS football together (at Grant), they would have been the best team in SJS; arguably NorCal.

Again we will see if the trend changes...

Metro League/D3:

The Pacers won the Open State Championship as a Metro League/SJS D2 participant. So the leagues don't always matter.

I thought that Grant would have been very competitve in the D2 playoffs this past season. IMO, their offense and speed would have caused a lot of problems for the D2 field.

 

[Scoop and Score]

I misread streaks initial post. Grant will do just fine under the new coaching staff. We saw a glimpse of it this past season.

As you pointed out, they had success under Vuk and Al. And from all accounts are having success with the new staff—The state championship is proof.

Grant has the most talent in the entire section, just look how many D1 prospects they have.

 

[championcif75]

JOEY MONTOYA…..PLACER HILLMEN…..his grandfather was the great Bill Miller in 70’s and early 80’s.
Montoya has done a FABULOUS job with just our local kids,imho!

 

[Cal 14]

In other news Saint Francis is building a new 100 million dollar sporting complex.

Are they finally going to get a normal-sized baseball field?

 

[Rocknrolus 95361]

JOEY MONTOYA…..PLACER HILLMEN…..his grandfather was the great Bill Miller in 70’s and early 80’s.
Montoya has done a FABULOUS job with just our local kids,imho!

But there is something in your local water! You have those road graders lineman! I have been a fan of his since you introduced him go me in 2010 Great role model. Good family man.

 

[dcpanda]

Are they finally going to get a normal-sized baseball field?

I looked at the campaign website. Doesn’t look like the proposed buildings have anything to do with sports.

 

[Ninersfan916]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Dave Hoskins. He had a lot of success at Valley HS and at Elk Grove HS.

 

[NorCalSportsFan]

Randy Blankenship Aptos High wins pretty much everywhere he has coached in several sections.