Stewart Succeeds Stevenson as Taft Football Coach

In a manner of speaking, Larry Stewart has been hanging around Tom Stevenson for years. Before spending the past seven football seasons coaching together at Taft High, the pair coached at Belmont for five seasons.

They even attended elementary school, junior high and Birmingham High together.

So perhaps it was understandable that when Stewart was selected Monday to replace Stevenson as Taft head coach, he felt a little funny.

“I have mixed feelings,” Stewart said. “I didn’t want to see him go.”

In a surprise move, Stevenson announced after Friday’s loss to Granada Hills in the City Section 4-A Division playoffs that he would not return as coach next fall. Before coaching Taft to a 7-4 record this season, Stevenson led Taft to four consecutive league titles from 1986-89.

Stevenson, 41, will remain at Taft as golf coach, a position he took over this year. Stevenson also coached the Toreadors to City track titles in 1986 and 1987.

“It was time for something new,” Stevenson said.

Stewart, 42, served as defensive coordinator and offensive line coach under Stevenson for the past seven seasons and said he feels more than capable of assuming head coaching duties.

“I’ve always felt I was ready,” he said. “But we’ve always had such a good relationship and I never felt that a co-coaching situation was all that ideal.

“I sort of sublimated myself. I’m sure that after I take over, I’ll be more aggressive with the kids than I have in the past.”