Costa Mesa hires David Gutierrez as football coach
David Gutierrez, Santa Ana High’s defensive coordinator, will take over as Costa Mesa’s football coach, said principal Jacob Haley on Friday.
Gutierrez served the last four years under head coach Charlie TeGantvoort at Santa Ana, helping the program go 13-1 and reach the CIF Southern Section Division 13 championship game in 2016. The section finals appearance marked the Saints’ first since the 1986 season.
Gutierrez helped TeGantvoort turn things around at Santa Ana. The two inherited a program that had gone 0-10 in 2013, and they led the Saints to the postseason in their first year together. Santa Ana has qualified for the playoffs the last four years.
The Saints went 11-2 overall and 5-0 in the Golden West League this past season. The undefeated league title was their second straight, and the Saints advanced to the Division 12 semifinals.
Last year, Costa Mesa finished 3-7 overall and in last place in the Orange Coast League. Gutierrez will replace Glen Fisher, who went 9-21 overall and 2-13 in league during his three seasons in charge of the Mustangs. The program missed the playoffs in each of Fisher’s three seasons.
Gutierrez, who teaches at Fountain Valley High, where he used to be an assistant coach, will get to coach against his former boss at Santa Ana. The Saints are moving to the Orange Coast League in 2018.
Get more of David Carrillo Peñaloza’s work and follow him on Twitter @ByDCP
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