HE’S GOT EXPERIENCE IN SPITE OF YOUTH : Sharrar, 23, Is St. Anthony’s Coach

Standing in the middle of the St. Anthony High School football field in Long Beach, the thought occurs that His Royal Badness, rock star Prince, might enjoy performing here.

After all, there is purple, purple everywhere, as far as the eye can see. Purple bleachers. Purple hot dog stand. Purple garbage cans, even.

There is definitely a purple reign at St. Anthony’s, but the Saints’ young prince behind it all is helping the school’s football team be known for more than just hues of purple.

Most who have worked at two high schools and a college before becoming a head coach would be considered a seasoned veteran, and in a sense St. Anthony Coach Ken Sharrar is already that . But what makes Sharrar different from his professional peers is his age.

He is 23 years old.

At a time when many in his age-group are just graduating from college and looking for their first career job, Sharrar is competing in a profession where many of his fellow coaches are twice his age or older.

Said Bruce Corbett, St. Anthony athletic director, the man responsible for promoting Sharrar: “Our society associates wisdom with age and that (image) can be a problem, but it isn’t true in Ken’s case. He’s a very knowledgeable young man. It wouldn’t have mattered to us if he were 23 or 43.

“We were very confident going in as far as his ability to both administrate the program as well as handling the X’s and O’s and he hasn’t let us down at all.”

Sharrar inherited his position partly by accident and partly by design.

A 1979 graduate of Capistrano Valley High School, Sharrar was a Cougar assistant coach for three years, Ocean View for two years, and tight end coach at Cal State Long Beach last season, before moving on to St. Anthony.

He would have been an assistant to Dan Dodd this fall, but three weeks before the season began, Dodd accepted a job in Kansas, leaving a void.

Sharrar was selected to take over at the Long Beach school. And so far he has done well as the Saints beat Brethren, 20-7, in the season opener. St. Anthony will face Bellflower tonight.

At the school’s football field, located some five miles from the main campus, Sharrar’s eyes light up when describing his first game as coach.

“In the six years before you get to be a head coach, you just dream about what the first win might be like,” he said. “And it was a very satisfying feeling for everybody involved.”

One sign of the school’s confidence in its program’s direction is the fact that next week the Saints are scheduled to play Long Beach Wilson for the first time since 1973--a formidable foe if only because the Wilson student body (2,700) has about 2,000 more students than St. Anthony’s.

A minor revitalization of the athletic program is under way at the school and Sharrar is glad to be involved. Sharrar points around the football field like a proud father, noting the new $15,000 lighting system and $4,000 worth of new uniforms that the St. Anthony booster club has helped fund.

Being a head coach at a smaller school is not all glory, however. On the day before a game Sharrar has to chalk the field. He nevertheless revels in it all. Still, he is careful at his age to walk the fine line between being an authoritative boss and one still open to suggestions.

“It’s not as overwhelming as it might seem,” he said. “The only thing you have to do is establish credibility. All people really want to know (about a young coach) is ‘do you know football?’ ”

Sharrar has been a student of the game since he was a player at Capistrano Valley. He hopes to someday write articles and journals on coaching football.

Said Bill Cunerty, Saddleback College coach, who coached Sharrar at Capistrano Valley in the late ‘70s: “He knew as much about our offense back then as we (coaches) did. He was a wide receiver but he knew all of the assignments of the interior linemen on every play.

“He’s well prepared and is a very organized person. He’s got enthusiasm coming out of his ears and he’ll always have the best interests of the kids at heart. I was a (prep) head coach at age 26 but he beat that by a long shot.”

Said Sharrar: “At last week’s game my father helped raise the flag and my brothers videotaped and helped with concessions. I’d say my father (Gary) has been the most influential as far as perseverance goes. I’ve always been younger than everybody else wherever I’ve been.

“And my wife, Victoria, is unbelievable to support me in the way she does. She’s four years older than I am, too--everything I do, I seem to do with older people.”