Moorpark Picks Dearborn to Succeed Noel

After spending 10 weeks trying to hire an experienced football coach, Moorpark High settled for an ambitious 24-year-old assistant with a winning record. Rob Dearborn, who compiled an 18-2 record as the junior varsity coach at Newbury Park High the past two years, has been hired to replace Bob Noel, Principal Cary Dritz announced Tuesday.

“In his short history as a coach, Dearborn has demonstrated the extra ability and leadership necessary to be a head coach,” Dritz said. “We wanted to hire a coach that satisfied four categories and Dearborn excelled in all four.”

Dritz summed up the four requirements as: “a coach with a winning background, an outstanding teacher, a positive person and someone who will be dedicated to the program.”

Dearborn replaces Noel, who resigned in December after four years as coach.

Dritz, along with a panel of four Moorpark administrators and coaches, screened more than 30 applicants for the job and spent 10 weeks before deciding on Dearborn.

“It’s been my career dream to be a head football coach,” Dearborn said. “I wanted the opportunity to build a football program from the beginning.”

Dearborn also was varsity track coach at Newbury Park the past two seasons. But when it comes to football, Dearborn stress passing over running.

“I’m a fan of Rick Scott,” Dearborn said about the former Hart and newly hired Buena football coach. “I believe the way to win is to pass the ball a lot. That’s what we did at Newbury Park.”

Dearborn played football at Kern Valley High in Lake Isabella. He played linebacker and center for one season each at Bakersfield College and Cal Lutheran.

In 1984, Dearborn gave up playing football at Cal Lutheran to become an assistant track coach at Newbury Park. He became the freshman football coach later that year.

“He’s a very positive person. That’s what I most like about him,” Dritz said.