Coaches’ Duties Also Include Raising Money for Their Teams

John deFries was a seven-year assistant line coach at Rancho Santiago College before he was named to replace Herb Hill as the varsity football coach at Loara High School last spring.

DeFries expected a transition from simply wearing a cap and whistle and coaching at Rancho Santiago to becoming “a part-time parent, baby-sitter, academic adviser and personal counselor” when he accepted the coaching job at Loara.

And deFries has added another title to his long list of duties: fund-raiser.

“You’ve got to be a fund-raiser just to survive these days,” he said. “The funds you receive from the Associated Student Body (ASB) can’t possibly cover all the expenses incurred by a football program.”

DeFries’ first task was to help organize a jogathon last spring. Loara’s coaches asked each of the program’s 75 players to get 10 pledges each from relatives, friends and neighbors to help buy new game jerseys.

The players ran laps and earned about $2,000. The event was so successful that deFries is planning a liftathon this spring, in which his players will lift weights for pledges.

While the majority of the student body took the summer off, deFries had his team competing in a summer passing league at El Dorado and an eight-team tournament at Mission Viejo.

DeFries charged each player a $50 participation fee. That helped to pay a $1,000 coaching stipend for two assistants who aided deFries.

“I did some checking and found out we were undercharging the kids for our summer program,” deFries said. “Most schools charge between $75-$100. Mater Dei is getting $150. I’m sure we’ll go up next summer, because we plan on playing in Rancho Santiago’s summer tournament.”

When the season began, deFries played host to Wednesday night booster club meetings, in which he reviews game films from the previous week. The booster board raffles prizes and a game ball, usually earning $50.

The 50-50 drawing on game nights usually earns about $100, and Loara’s football program splits a $1 fee for those who attend a party at an Anaheim pizza parlor after each home game.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but it all adds up,” deFries said.

School administrators are hoping bingo, added this summer on campus, will become a big money-making proposition. Loara’s band boosters started the program off-campus a couple of years ago but it failed.

DeFries estimates the games are drawing 175 players and netting $1,500 to $2,000 each week.

“Our football booster board is helping out and will get a share of the profits depending upon how many volunteers show up each week,” he said. “We’re still paying off the equipment, but I’m hoping we’ll start seeing some profits soon.”

Loara’s football boosters budgeted about $4,000 for any additional expenses deFries might incur during the season. The money was raised selling advertisements for the game programs.

DeFries has given the boosters one bill for 25 game-day shirts for his coaching staff and another for seven game films at $65 each.

“I never bargained to be just a coach when I took this job,” he said. “I knew that going in. You’re more than a coach at this level, and helping to raise money to keep your program on top is just part of the job.”