Occidental’s Etcheverry Named Football Coach at Macalester

Gary Etcheverry, an assistant football coach at Occidental College for seven seasons, has been hired as head coach at Macalester College, a Division III school in St. Paul, Minn.

Etcheverry, 33, was the defensive coordinator for Occidental, which has won six Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in the past eight years.

Etcheverry also has coached at San Francisco State and was an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in 1988.

“I had to make a decision,” Etcheverry said. “Did I want to move up in levels which would mean more money, but also some other things I’m not excited about, or stay at this level?

“My heart is with small-college football. I just think Division III football is among the purest forms of the game and that’s what I’m interested in being a part of.”

Macalester gained national attention when the football team lost 50 consecutive games between 1974 and 1980.

Etcheverry, who will leave for Minnesota next week, replaces Tom Hosier, who resigned after Macalester finished 1-9 last season.

“Gary’s had a great deal to do with the amount of success we had here,” Occidental Coach Dale Widolff said.

Tony Bordwell of El Camino Real High has orally committed to play golf next season at San Jose State.

Bordwell, who is expected to make a run at the individual City Section title later this month, will receive a full scholarship, San Jose State Coach Dick Schwendinger said.