By MVS Staff
(Whittier) -Louie Zamora has stepped down as the head football coach at California after five years at the helm he confirmed Thursday.
Zamora compiled a 23-24 record going 11-9 in the Del Rio League. He went 9-1 against Whittier and Santa Fe but 2-8 against El Rancho and La Serna.
In the shortened Covid year of 2020, Zamora went 4-1 and took that momentum into the 2021 season going 7-5 losing in the Division 8 quarterfinals to Highland.
The Condors went 2-8 his year and started off 2-0 in league but lost to Santa Fe and La Serna to end the season and missed the playoffs.
“It was always a dream of mine to be a head coach. I thank all of those athletes who went through brick walls for me,” Zamora said. “I hope that I impacted all of my players throughout the years like my coaches did to me. My plan was to leave the game better than I found it. My time is done. Next man up!”
The Condors search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
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FBFan ‘any college sport an athlete!
My commentary is ‘building very good football programs from lesser years’ may depend so very much on the Principal , assistant administrators, and definitely the Athletic Director ( when given major responsibility in the hiring) . ?? Problem is does the Principal care about having a quality football program? Many do not care /focus on anything except state test scores, especially when never participated in athletics! Maybe? Athletic Directors may not be the people many give them credit for. Often only one teacher/coach apply for the AD job. Often AD’s have sub standard experience in athletics and do not deserve being the person with responsibility to hire a head football coach. Sure, yeah! Many AD’s never started for their high school football team! Want to try improve football success? Look to recent college graduates who played possibly> instead of picking the ‘next in line’ that has been assisting at the school. Such as Zamora
Anonymous? Need a very quality head coach and assistants to ever compete with LS
Old Whitmont Guy why Whittier/ ? you suggest head coach will look elsewhere? i suggest he stays and tries build program to compete in such a weak league
Anonymous
November 2, 2023 – 4:08 pm | Permali agree totallyn
Looking Forward? Really? Zepeda is 1/100 as talented as Dusan. Coaches like Dusan are hard to find
My dream is that Zamora goes to coach Whittier after bailing on Cal. Wait a minute…that’s more of a nightmare.
James Arnold’s last move as an AD was hire Louie Zamora, I believe he stepped down right before Covid. Yes, you heard it hear first, Whittier will be announcing that they are looking for a new coach too.
Who cares at least they will all call themselves Del Rio league champions of the world and the district loves them some La Serna football so why not?
Not even close
Well said my friend. Love u calling him out
Good scoop…if Arnold were in the saddle, he would’ve let Louie live his dream, even if that meant no football wins for 20 years.
Jim Arnold has not been the AD for the last 5 to 6 years. He is no longer involved in athletics.
If Louie was forced out, chances are that Jim Arnold already has his new coach lined-up. Who might that be? I can think of one person who recently lost his HC job very near to the Cal campus: Rick Zepeda. Rick would probably dig the upgrade in pay (if a teaching job is attached), and would be able to gather talent from a larger area than just the La Serna sphere. Cal has a history of using a St Paul guy in the person of Dusan Ancich, who is the last really successful Condor HC, so this might happen.
I don’t understand why you equate having played in college with motivating towards peak performance? I think these are two separate issues . A lot of things happen on the way to college choice , many people are career motivated and attend high level D1 schools where scholarships are necessary….rather than attend NAIA or lower division just yo play .
I think college experience is helpful , but not necessary or indicative of coaching efficacy .
@Sportsman,
I suggest you take a look at the high school football coaches around SoCal and find out who actually played college football. To think that needs to be a requirement is very off base.
Anonymous,
Wow!!!At least give us a heads up so that we could get the popcorn ready!!!!
@ My Three Cents,
The spring league was tackle football. I’m pretty sure Peterson is referencing the 5 game spring 2021 that took place during the pandemic since the Fall 2020 season never happened.
If Zamora really was all that in the early going, what happened to make him the laughing stock of today? And no, spring league stats don’t belong in a serious discussion of tackle football.
LS . what ?, 50 to 0 at half? Hire a winner
The revolving door wuhsd has very good teacher’s salary schedule, even for new teachers ( if you want select some of best , then pay them better. The district also allows experienced teachers to transfer all years teaching) . Well the district salary was very good when hiring Zamora too. Do you know the number of applicants then? Does AD Arnold really want an experienced successful , statistically, head coach?
Cal hired a head coach who did not play a college sport! Don’t have to be college football….but ?? baseball?/ Did Cal athletic director want the ‘best situation for his student athletes’ / ? The head football coach is one of most important positions in a high school, and in some schools maybe the most important. Zamora , I think, worked his way up and they gave him the job. ? I am asking this question because I believe college athletic participation is necessary, but no claim I am correct! How does a head coach motivate players to work and play toward ‘peak potential’, when he never experienced the process?
Idea? Sitting 48 minutes every game would be terrible
Old Whitmont Guy? really / ? Whittier coach will leave after one year? Maybe if looking for better fit
What is the incentive to go coach at Cal High, Whittier, Pioneer, Santa Fe? I’m sure it’s not the pay that will draw someone to get their butt kicked weekly. Evidently Coach Zamora saw that he’s never going to be able to beat La Serna. La Serna took some of Cal High’s players in the offseason and getting almost anyone they want at the freshmen level. In a typical year you’re going to have La Serna #1 because they easily have more athletes than anyone and you’ll have El Rancho #2 while the rest of the league battles for 3rd place with zero playoff guarantees. Every once in a while Cal or Santa Fe can sneak into the 2nd spot (2023, 2017 for example) when El Rancho is down. Does any coach really want to take on that task when every single card is stacked against them? Quinsey at Whittier will never make the playoffs, whoever takes on the job at Cal High is going to have an even tougher job earning a playoff berth let alone winning.
Correct
When Louie’s group got blown-out by Santa Fe 37-0 at home two weeks ago, that was because ER is decimated. Got it.
A decimated El Rancho was really the only reason for this supposed rebirth.
@OldWhitmontGuy
Winchy has also made some questionable decisions with players and students outside of school… so if you knew the real Winchy you’d know he’s not so impressive. Dude also copies everything LS has done and has nothing to show for it.
Don’t even get me started on Beltran… dude takes credit for an offensive system he first refused to implement and then did so after an abysmal 2-8 season… all because Winchy couldn’t get it done as an OC. Wait a minute… wasn’t he an OC this past year? How many points to he put up? Lmao
@Beltran
Yeah Zamora inherited a losing program and left it worst off then when he found it… sounds like progress to me. Oh and some people go through life blaming everyone else but themselves, like Beltran! Beltran is lucky he never got caught on Thanksgiving Day practices or that anyone checked his fridge in his classroom…
Del Rio minus ER pay teachers some of the highest salaries in the US. Cal will get a ton of applicaions.
Looking at how Santa Fe has been reborn in a single season under new coach Bateman, it’s clear that the Zamora experiment at Cal should have been shut down three years ago.
The difference between Louie and Ryan is salesmanship of the sport, getting tons of kids out for football. Anybody interested in how it’s done should consult with one of the Santa Fe players.
From T. Peterson: Three years ago? Why? Cal went 6-4 in 2019 and 4-1 in the Spring League. Then Cal went 7-5 and won a playoff game in 2021. Good thing they didn’t shut that down.
How bout every school in Whittier renames itself La Serna and every player from every program in Whittier plays for Andy George, it will be a sight to see with 300 players lining up for La Serna every Friday night.
@ Anonymous
Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple
Right Andy? At least put your name like a real man.
Zamora inherited a losing program and was able to achieve success even if it was short lived. Congrats coach.
Whittier will open up as well. Both Whittier and Cal would be smart to after “Winchy” better known as Coach Winchell. He’s coached with some pretty impressive staffs over the years; Coach Mahlstede at Santa Fe and Coach LaVigne and Coach Beltran at La Serna and Bell Gardens.
I thought bro was “knocking at the door” and building up a program to beat La Serna lol… must’ve was at the wrong house.
Wonder if Doug Funnie will hire Winchy to take over. It would be the greatest mistake ever for the rest of the league lmao
Love the off season to watch for coaching changes. Off to a fast start. Who’s next?