Replacing a legend is never easy, however El Camino College will do its best with the hire of former Santa Monica College head football coach, Gifford Lindheim.
Lindheim said it’s an honor to have the opportunity to carry on the legacy that coach John Featherstone built.
“Coach Featherstone is a legend,” Lindheim said. “He has not only been a successful head coach but has been a positive influence on his players, students, the college and this community.”
On Wednesday, Lindheim took to Twitter to announce he has accepted the head coaching position at El Camino.
While El Camino College has not made the announcement official, Lindheim’s Facebook post from Wednesday expresses gratitude towards SMC and says it’s an “honor and privilege to lead the football program at El Camino.”
Lindheim’s Facebook post:
“I have been offered and I have accepted the full time Head Football Coaching job at El Camino College. I am extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish at SMC. SMC averaged less than 2 wins per season in the 5 seasons before I arrived. In the past 5 seasons, the accomplishments have been unprecedented in school history. We have won 5 Conference Championships and 34 straight Conference games. We were the only undefeated Junior College team in the state last season and have been moved up into the elite conference of Southern California. In that span, hundreds of players have experienced what it feels like to be a Champion. As of now, 79 players have moved on to 4 year colleges to continue playing the game they love and continue their education. More importantly than even the wins, hopefully the program has impacted in a positive way each individual that has made their way through it. With that being said, it is an honor and privilege to lead the football program at El Camino, one of the most storied Junior College programs in all of California. They open a $40 million dollar stadium this year and are committed to putting the program back on top.”
Lindheim leaves SMC after five seasons with the program, including a successful 2015 season which saw the Cosairs finish undefeated for the first time in 35 years. In addition, SMC won the SCFA American Division Championship Bowl, according to the Southern California Football Association website.
El Camino hopes Lindheim can succeed Featherstone, who retired last season after 31 years with the football program. Featherstone ends his career with an overall record of 214-119-1.
