Hangartner to Call Signals Again : Magnolia, John Jr. Lure Coach Out of 1-Year Retirement

A year ago, John Hangartner called it quits as head coach of the Kennedy High School football team. His reason for leaving was simple. He wanted to have time to watch his son, John Jr., play quarterback for Magnolia High.

Hangartner found out Thursday night that this fall he’ll have an opportunity to watch John Jr. more than once a week. It’ll be on a daily basis, because Hangartner was named the new football coach at Magnolia.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about having John joining us,” Magnolia principal Don Keys said. “John is a quality coach and more important, a quality person.”

The job became available when former Coach Mark Miller decided to relocate his family to Riverside County’s Mira Loma.

“Mark felt it was time he settle his family into a house,” Key said. “His decision to leave was based on that.”

While Miller adjusts to a new community, Hangartner will have to adjust to treating his son just like any other player.

“I talked to other coaches who had coached their sons,” Hangartner said. “They were almost unanimous in saying that it was a positive experience. I’m really looking forward to it.”

In his 19 seasons directing the Fighting Irish, Hangartner compiled a 122-63-6 record and led Kennedy to eight Southern Section playoff berths. In 1971, Kennedy won the Southern Section 3-A title.

Immediate titles may be a little much to ask from a Magnolia team that was 3-7 last season and ended up fifth in the six-team Orange League. After watching the Sentinels, Hangartner said one of the team’s weaknesses last season should be one of its strengths next season.

“Last year they had a lot of underclassmen on the team, and they’re going to make mistakes,” Hangartner said. “But now, those players have a year of experience under their belts. I think we have some real talent coming back.”

If Hangartner is successful in turning around the Sentinels, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s turned a losing program around.

In 1978, Hangartner said goodby to football only to return a year later after the Fighting Irish had dropped to 1-8 under his replacement, Larry Bottom. Hangartner led Kennedy to a 6-4 record.

Hangartner, 46, says he never claimed he was retiring for good. But he also says he didn’t expect to be back this soon.

“When I retired at Kennedy, I knew I wanted to get back into coaching somewhere,” he said. “When the job opened up at Magnolia, I looked around at the other Anaheim programs and I saw that their programs were pretty well set for the next years. I figured if I didn’t get this job, I wouldn’t be able to get anything else in the district.”