Orange County Prep Roundup : Howell Gets Foothill Football Post

Dr. Jerry Howell, football coach at Eastern Oregon State for the past three seasons, has been named football coach at Foothill High School.

Howell, 41, resigned at Eastern Oregon State last November after failing to win a game on the field in three years. The Mounties were 1-25-3 under Howell with their only victory a 2-0 forfeit by Southern Oregon in 1984.

Howell replaces Ted Mullen, who resigned in April to become coach at Anaheim High. Mullen was 59-15-2 in six seasons at Foothill, winning the Southern Conference championship in 1981 and losing the title game in 1983.

Howell has two master degrees in physical education and earned his Ph.D. at Oregon State. He was an assistant professor in the physical education and health department at Eastern Oregon.

Howell was formerly an assistant at Claremont-Mudd, Occidental and New Mexico State before becoming coach at Eastern Oregon State in 1984. He also has written four books on weightlifting and football.

“Jerry is a first-class individual who is very professional,” said Peggy Anderson, Eastern Oregon athletic director. “He has an excellent football mind and kept a good repertoire with the athletes.”

Howell cited budget problems, lack of full-time assistants and difficulty in recruiting athletes as his reasons for resigning at Eastern Oregon last fall.

“Jerry was very eager to get back into the high school coaching scene, especially in Southern California,” said his wife, Patty, who works in Eastern Oregon State’s admission office. “My husband felt this was an excellent opportunity at Foothill.”

Howell was en route to Southern California and unavailable for comment.

Prep Notes

Tom Redington, Esperanza shortstop, was named the state’s baseball player of the year and Valencia pitcher Michele Granger was named the state’s softball player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports magazine of Sacramento. The publication also named pitcher Roger Weems of Esperanza as the state’s sophomore of the year and pitcher Chris Robinson of Troy as the 3-A division player of the year. Mission Viejo was named the school of the year after the boys’ swimming team won its 13th straight Southern Section 4-A swim title and its girls’ team finished second in the 4-A. The girls’ soccer team also won the section’s 4-A title with a 25-0-1 record. . . . Jason Wilborn, Canyon linebacker, has quit the North team in the Orange County All-Star football game on July 17 so that he can attend freshman orientation at the University of California. . . . Tom Danley, Katella basketball coach, has been named president of the California State Athletic Directors’ Assn. . . . Scooti Lynwood, Santa Ana guard, has been reinstated in the Saints’ basketball program and will be eligible next season after successfully completing courses in continuation school. Lynwood was dismissed by Coach Greg Coombs before the start of the 1986-87 season for failing to attend classes.