Olson Named Football Coach at Kennedy

Mitch Olson, former Los Alamitos High School star running back, has been named head football coach at Kennedy. He replaces John Carroll, who resigned in January.

Olson, 28, was a three-sport star at Los Alamitos and holds the school’s single-season and career rushing records. He rushed for 1,370 yards in 1977 as the Griffins advanced to the Southern Conference championship game.

He finished a three-year career with 2,474 yards and seven varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. Olson also was named the Empire League’s most valuable baseball player in 1979.

Olson was selected among 31 applicants. He will join Kennedy’s teaching staff as a physical education and social studies instructor.

Olson played at Orange Coast College and Whittier College. He was a player-coach for two years in the Finnish American Football League in Finland.

For the past two years, Olson has been an assistant football, basketball and baseball coach at Kennedy. He led the Irish’s freshman to the Empire League title last season.

Kennedy’s varsity team finished 0-10 last season with only 32 varsity players. Next season, Kennedy will move from the traditionally strong Empire League into the Garden Grove League.