North Hollywood Baseball Coach Hired

Marty Biegel, a 67-year-old retired teacher from the L. A. Unified School District, has been hired to coach the North Hollywood High baseball team, the school announced Monday.

Biegel replaces Brian York, who resigned before the 1989 season after breaking an ankle. Fred Grimes, the school’s football coach, directed the team to a 3-17 record in York’s absence.

When he retired from Fairfax High in 1983, Biegel left a 28-year teaching career that included 17 years as a coach.

He started as coach of the B basketball team in 1966 and moved to the varsity in 1969, where he stayed through ’75. After two seasons as an assistant at Cal State Los Angeles, he returned to the Fairfax program in 1979 for two more seasons.

He also worked as the junior varsity baseball coach at Fairfax for six years, the last two in the ‘82-83 seasons.

Biegel played baseball at the University of Colorado in 1942 before serving in World War II.

He is a 1951 graduate of Hunter College in New York City and readily points out that he is “67 and a half.” He cited his desire to work with the players as the reason for resuming his coaching career.

“There are a bunch of kids waiting for someone who cares. . . . I can help some kids who didn’t do well last year,” he said.

Neil Stone, an assistant principal at North Hollywood who coached with Biegel at Fairfax, said Biegel will bring enthusiasm to the Husky athletics program.

“He’s a feisty guy and is extremely competitive. He’ll bring a breath of fresh air to the department,” he said.

The school also hired Mike Rauseo to serve as a walk-on assistant to Biegel.