When did you first start coaching at EC and were you nervous coaching your first game?
I started in fall 1985. That first game I was probably a bit nervous, but I’m a competitive guy, so I was really looking forward to coaching my first game.

What does your team motto: ‘Dream, Prepare, Endure and Achieve,’ mean to you?
In any sport or profession, you need goals. You have to be a dreamer. Then you have to prepare. No matter what sport you play, your body will break down. You are going to have to endure some pain. Then once you dream, prepare and endure, you will achieve.

What are you most proud of since coaching here?
Winning the national championship in 1987. We played Taft College, who hadn’t lost a game in three years. Everyone thought they would beat us. There were more than 20,000 people there.

What is your goal as coach?
Our first goal is to win the first game of the season. The second is to win the conference. Also, I want to continue to run a clean, wholesome program with kids who want to go to school, are team players and build leaders.

How difficult is it to re-stock and recruit players when you are constantly having players move on?
It’s the biggest challenge when you lose half your team. You have to figure out who your captains and leaders are. You have to recruit by position and be sure you are stocked up on offense and defense.

When does the training for a new season begin?
In February, as soon as we come back for spring semester. We go two days of football on the field, three days of lifting and two days of conditioning.

What should future players know about the football program when deciding to play here?
We are the USC of junior college football. I think we have one of the best coaching staffs in the country and there are life lessons to be learned in any sport. We’re looking for guys who want to be great weight lifters, great practice players and great game players.