The El Camino board of trustees approved the hiring of a new football coach, as well as discuss strengthening safety around campus at its meeting on Monday.

The board approved President Dena Maloney’s recommendation of hiring former Santa Monica College football coach Gifford Lindheim as the new head football coach and as a full-time faculty member.

Maloney said she is very excited to have Lindheim join the Warrior family.

“I think he is going to be a wonderful addition to our staff,” Maloney said. “His accomplishments at (SMC) were very impressive. He is going to be a great fit.”

The board also discussed a report from the Academic Senate about faculty members concerned with campus safety.

The report said that the process of assessing the buildings on campus to make sure that there is a phone in every classroom has already begun. It also said that locks will be installed inside of classrooms so that doors can be locked from both the inside and outside of a room.

“Strengthening safety is an important priority for all of us on campus,” Maloney said. “We need to have a safe environment for our faculty, staff, and students. I am happy with some of the things that are being put into motion because they will make sure that the classrooms and offices all around campus will be safer.”

The next board of trustees meeting will be on April 18 at 4 p.m. in the board room.