Jeff Brinkley New Football Head Coach at Newport

Jeff Brinkley, football coach at Norwalk High School, has been named the new head coach at Newport Harbor High School, Sailor Athletic Director Bill Pizzica announced Friday.

Brinkley replaces Mike Giddings, who retired following the 1985 season to devote more time to his business interests, which include Pro Scout, Inc., a scouting combine that services many National Football League teams.

“Jeff’s a winner and had done very well at Norwalk,” Pizzica said. “For high school coaching positions, you simply look for the best person you can get. We liked the way Jeff handled himself in the interviews.”

According to Pizzica, Brinkley, 33, topped a list of 15-18 candidates who expressed interest in the position following Giddings’ retirement. Brinkley inherits a program that Giddings coached to a 34-11-3 mark over the last four seasons.

Pizzica said that Brinkley, a 1975 graduate of Cal State Fullerton where he played football and baseball, was well aware of the stiff competition he would be facing in the Sea View League, which produced CIF Central Conference champion Saddleback last fall.

Newport Harbor, league co-champion with Saddleback, was the only team to defeat the Roadrunners last season, winning 24-21 in a league game at Newport Harbor. The Sailors later made it to the conference semifinals before losing to La Quinta. Saddleback defeated La Quinta in the conference final.

“I’m sure Jeff did as much homework on us as we did on him,” Pizzica said. “He’s knows how tough the Sea View League can be.”

Giddings was a walk-on coach during his tenure with the Sailors, but Pizzica said that Brinkley will be a physical education teacher at the Newport Beach school as well as its football coach.