Kevin Pearson resigns at Cathedral as HC after 22 years.
By Tim Peterson
(Los Angeles) – Kevin Pearson resigned as the head football coach at Cathedral Friday after a 22 year run sources confirmed.
Pearson led the Phantoms to an Angelus League title and a 10-2 overall record this past season. Cathedral advanced to the second round of the CIF Division 2 Playoffs before losing to Upland.
The Phantoms won 9 league championships under Pearson and had an overall record of 196-63. Pearson will continue to teach at the school.
Cathedral now begins the search to replace a man that has roamed the Phantom sidelines for the better part of two decades.
Who is in line to get the Cathedral job?
From T. Peterson: Jon Gruden.
What really amazes me is a school like Bishop Gorman out of Las Vegas. Luckily, in Southern Cali there are multiple Gormans like Bosco, Mater Dei, etc. but that school single Handedly ruined high school football in the state of Nevada. They drain all of the talent and take all of the best kids from their respective schools in Nevada and even pull kids from LA, San Diego, Arizona, etc. now there is no parity and they blow out everyone in the state especially running through the playoffs. That is why they have to schedule national opponents in preseason because once they get to league there is no more good competition left. I am starting to see this trend in Southern Cali. Same big three every year: Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, and Corona Centennial, with one sacrificial lamb (aka the Mission Viejos and Long Beach Poly‘s.) these few elite teams that are going to run the field every year should just be placed in an open division style national bracket to play for a national championship against the Gormans and the IMG’s. That would make even the top division in Southern California more competitive because a team like mission viejo was really good this year and had something special going but Mater Dei is just another animal and they just ran through everyone this year. They never even trailed in a game at all this year!
Someone finally turned the lights on at cathedral and the cockroaches scattered lol. Where’s D1 fan? And the rest of the 7 on 7 cheerleaders? Lol
@Downtown Downey,
You just summed up high school football and coaches and parents as a whole. Be who you are. HS football is special but a few bad apples are making every honest coach think they have to play some stupid game.
@DowntownDowney & @Socal
Agree with your words. Some schools have become a “let’s make a deal” type program. Once a program and it’s leadership sacrifices it’s own heritage and identity. It then becomes a very long road back to one’s roots. Have courage CHS, return to St. John Baptist De La Salle values.
In general just because one is compliant within CIF rules doesn’t mean it’s right. Creative alterations and evasive moves to be compliant with CIF doesn’t make one’s actions “right.” A lie is a lie. Cheating is cheating.
Schools should have enough courage not be a clone of SJB and MD. Some schools have lost themselves to the “new era” of high school football and they’re are now mini corporations and import players from outside sources/handlers. It’s disappointing. And it’s more disappointing to witness coaches use a belief system (God) as a guise to influence young people and parents. Wolves in sheeps clothing.
Kids the college coaches will find you if you show a certain level of ability. The cool gear and cliques are not needed. Just perform on Friday Nights and don’t believe the hype.
Again, good luck to today’s parents. Happy Holidays.
Where’s Danny figure in all this lol
its about time! Coach Pearson, was once a good coach and a great man. then, at some point he changed and tried to become a great coach even at the cost of his character. He chose winning games over honesty integrity and good nature. He chose pleasing parents and 4 star recruits above the kids that did all the heavy lifting. Andrew Tovar stayed loyal even when you weren’t loyal to him. all the kids that wwere kicked out of CHS right after football season this is too late but at least its here. Cathedral High school was a special place…Coach P turned it into a stepping stone. A place where Mmost Alumni couldn’t stand. The kids are realizing it and see through this guy. he lost his team. instead of building a group of men and turning it into a powerful unit, he turned it into a bunch of individuals all asking whats in it for me. So for me… its good riddance. “MACA” Make Cathedral Great Again! I’m hearing names being flown left and right. Don’t do it. go back to the traditions that made CHS great. the experience, the education and Friday nights…in that order. You cant be MD or SJB without selling out, you tried that and it failed. Try being just Cathedral, and in promise that will be enough. Farfan, do the right thing.
@Gordon Gekko
And then he will win 2 league titles in 9 years and then people will have a parade for him and Cathedral when they make it to the second round one time!
lame
Hahahahaha
@gg
At most schools the AD is just a glorified secretary, the principal makes all the decisions. I agree there’s got to be more transparency throughout education. Some schools brag about 99% graduation rate when it really is 60%.
The private schools already use this model, the coaches are well compensated earning about $250,000 just to coach football because in some instances The head football coach is more important then the principal and brings in more revenue than the principal. Public schools just need to catch up.
JUDE OLIVA will buy all the buildings and homes around cathedral and expand the school. By the time he’s done cathedrals campus will match that of the USC campus.
@SoCal
One of my points is that CIF has to hold a school’s athletic program accountable regarding all sports related issues. It should not matter what a coach earns at a school. The school itself will be responsible for all fines related to violations. This is a very similar situation as in college. Let’s have full transparency and accountability at the high school level. This would be very close to the NCAA’s relationship with all univiversiries. Let’s set rules and regulations with financial implications.
If a coach is an idiot and makes poor decisions, he/she is not liable but the respective high school’s athletic department is responsible. That will force ADs to hire more credible and qualified individuals/coaches. There are plenty of coaches out there that would coach despite pay. If coaches are really good they can be compensated by a school district or third party booster club. There are several public school football coaches that receive financial or perks from a third party organizations within a giving school. Most administrators turn a blind eye to such activity. It’s a bit laughable.
As the football career of Kevin Pearson dies at Cathedral, we must ask whether the school’s larger objective of becoming another Bosco or Mater Dei is also dead on arrival. I would argue that yes, Cathedral (in its present location) is doomed to continue its role of outsider-looking-in that characterized the Pearson years, regardless of who is tabbed to coach football.
The reason is a lack of physical space in which to operate a comprehensive sports program. This school will never have the room to accommodate a basketball arena like the one at Mater Dei, or a football stadium such as the one being built at Bosco. The only way out for the Phantom organization is to MOVE from the cramped inner-city to a more spacious suburban location. Until this happens, everything that happens at this school will be the equivalent of a tire spinning in mud.
@Gordon Geckko, well said! In the words of Little Rocket Man, “They hate us cause they ain’t us.”
Ziola went to DBar dummy….. 0-10
@gg
You can’t hold coaches to a higher standard if you don’t pay them accordingly. You hold people to higher standards according to pay in high school. The superintendent is held to a higher standard than the principal, the principal is held to a higher standard than the teachers, the teachers are held to a higher standard than the coaches, etc….
If you are going to hit the coaches financially you will not have any high school coaches. It is hard to find good high school coaches now because the job doesn’t pay well for all those problems that come with the job. Until they find away to pay coaches better, like in Texas you will have only a few good coaches.
As a high school football fan of over 50 years. It’s too easy to be critical about Cathedral. KP did a good job. But, that comment is relative to many who read this blog.
Cathedral and all those associated with the school both officially and not officially never denied what they were about. They did it better than some of the other local public and private school coaches when it came to recruiting athletes. Many people may not like their aggressive methods but they were effective and within CIF rules. The Cathedral staff and so-called agents/gurus sought talent and offered a questionable better education, a slightly better environment and college exposure that would persuade easily influenced families for several years. It’s certain that the opportunity may have helped some, not all.
Cathedral like many schools nowadays went into the importing of talent in a big way. They imported speed, quarterbacks and size in recent years. But, this is no different than what has been going on in high school football for at least the last 10 years.
People need to accept that this is an alternative reality of high school football. It’s not going to change much.
What needs to change are the requirements of what it takes to be a high school coach. There should be higher standards and requirements. CIF should create much stricter guidelines on who is qualified to be a “certified” high school coach and coaches should be like all people and be held accountable for breaking the rules. Financial penalities is a topic that deserves consideration. If high schools want to treat their sports like a college they should be regulated as one. It’s time for some major review and overhaul of the current system.
If your kid is a major college prospect there are several ways of getting him exposure. You don’t need to do the club passing leagues or wear cool looking gear. Just work hard and play well. Good luck to today’s parents.
Every school has some athletes. Some coaches can turn those athletes into football players and win games. It might take a couple years but it’s been done. If you make excuses and tell yourself and your football players you can’t win, than you wouldn’t. Too many excuses, “just win baby.” Excuses are for losers.
Coach Z in not applying for the Cathedral job. I don’t think you know what your talking about FridayNights. Most of the stuff you talk about is just made up.
@graveyard
LMAO…. you knew Pearson was leaving mid season? Yeah right! Word is he bent over every which way for Bryce Young and his father. When that blew up in his face he had zero credibility with his staff his players and administrators. Also heard he (Pearson) is campaigning hard for the LB Poly job. So much for burn out or time with the family. Also heard a very prominent Wing T coach will be applying for the Cathedral job…. cough cough wing z excuse me.
Now you know how other high schools feel when you guys take their talent. Karma is a , well you know. All that D1 talent and couldn’t win a championship in 22 years? They showed him the door. That’s why he is interviewing for jobs as we speak. Good recruiter but a average coach. All that talent and couldn’t get the ring.
Coach Pearson was just Burned out from Coaching. He want’s to spend more time with his kids. The CIF Board with Jim Bonds on it did him no favor’s to move Cathedral up to D2. Coach Pearson should have had at least 5 CIF Titles. When Cathedral was in D10 the CIF moved Serra and Crespi down to D10. In The early 2000’s Cathedral went to 5 Straight Semi-Finals with Serra, Chaminade in the League. Coach Pearson is a Good Man and He sent a lot of Kids to College. Cathedral will be Ok and continue to be contenders.
I can tell you all from someone inside the program.. we knew Coach P was going to call it quits since about midway through the season. He made it very clear to us that this was his last ride and this was before the whole Bryce thing. Also, we’ve known that Bryce was on his way to Mater Dei for a few weeks now, just didn’t know he was going to take some of our younger guys with him too. That hurts
I had previously touched on this in the diamond bar topic. These coaches take these impossible jobs where these next year seniors maybe won 3-4 games in 3 years at the lower levels. Once in a while they can make it happen a la medrano, but simply put the administration, parents, alumni etc have to understand that rebuilds take at least 3 years so each respective coaches kids learn that system and run it properly. I can tell you this, the lower levels at some of these schools are much improved, chances are that will translate to varsity success within a year or 2.
@Pac 5 Scout
You are right on. I’m glad somebody said it. No one performs miracles. Almost all football coaches are dedicated and possess a burning desire to win. There is no way to winning football games without the horses, period!
@pac5, Ziola went to 0-10 diamond bar with the entire staff.
This coach bashing and praising is dumb. Lets look at the facts. A few supposed great coaches that went to suffering programs to shock the world. Gano to HH Wilson 2-8. Lara to Warren 21-19. Medrano to El Rancho 8-15. Ziola to help La Mirada 5-6. Ceniceros to El Monte 5-5. Beltran to Bell Gardens 7-15. Sure miracles can happen but not in high school football. Of these teams only one has won a playoff game. ER beat Norwalk in 2016. Gano found success but at a loaded Don Lugo program. Point being you have to have athletes. You need numbers of committed big body players and a must, team speed. Lacking players Knute Rockne can’t turn around a program in this transfer and recruit era.
Kevin Pearson Maybe he will help his brother at warren coach baseball
Dang, I thought Anthony White and Jude looked shady AF… this guy is on the same level.
From T. Peterson: Why?
Cite your source??? Cause I will cite mine, Kevin Glaspy has made it clear that Joe Brown is the head coach until Joe Brown decides it is time to hang up the whistle. And let me tell you JB is a football rat, so that ain’t happening any time soon!
Yea right, most kids are leaving !
Wow, can’t wait to here what happened here… he didn’t resign for no reason… or he must have a new school already in line.
I wonder where Danny will go ?
Jude has a shot at HC for sure … or what about the old LM coach? He’d be perfect too… they can recruit with the best of them …. and Anthony white !!! Man cathedral has choices other than Melvin James .
Recruiting freedom!
nothing but respect for a great head coach
22 years is an awfully long time to toil away at a tiny parochial like Cathedral, scratching and clawing to make the underdog competitive with the big boys. The loss of Bryce Young, possibly the most talented jock to ever wear the purple, probably sent coach Pearson into the deepest of funks over his inability to ever hang with the big boys of the open division, and this more than anything has to be the reason for his resignation. It is with deep regret that we say farewell to Phantom football as we have known it. This is a burial of sorts at a school famous for burials.
@74: What? Before you bash my post check yours out. My post should be easy for even you to understand but yours….? Try making yourself understood next time. (What is going to happen? LOL)
The Phantoms are going to be ok. Bryce Young is leaving but Most of The kids are staying put.
Hearing there is a mass exodus from Cathedral. Receivers and Lineman have checked out. Hearing the much heralded B. Young is out as well. More to the story here folks. Smell a rat 🐀
SG is a moron I wouldn’t worry about it colt74.
I’m not a big fan of his based on some of the things I’ve seen firsthand but you have to salute a man who was a head coach at any program for 22 years muchless of a successful program.
SG,
I see reading comprehension is not one of your strong suits.
I’m not bashing anyone. Making a statement BASED ON A PROVEN TRACK RECORD of ANY discussion about Cathedral on these blogs what is going to happen.
Why would JB be on chopping block. Been tenured for at least 10 years and is coach of year.
@ Colt 74: Before you bash another program rumor has it Covina HC is on the chopping block come the new year.
THEE KOFF??????
Milvon James come on down and continue recruiting
Hahahahahaga, never fails….
Congrats Coach Pearson on a good run. Blessings to you and your family in life after football!
JUDE OLIVA!!!
He has been the head coach for 22 years or has been part of the program for 22 years???
From T. Peterson: Head Coach
Won 196 games
10 wins last season
League champs
Great job.
Cif titles don’t equivilate to failure
Cathedral bashing in 3…2…1…