Meiss Quits as Orange Football Coach After Budget Cuts

Tom Meiss, Orange County’s football coach of the year in 1989, has resigned his position at Orange High School after budget cuts were announced within the Orange Unified School District for the 1991-92 school year.

In 1989, his first season at Orange as a walk-on coach, Meiss led the Panthers to a 10-3-1 record and into the Southern Section’s Division VIII championship game. It marked the first time Orange had played in a championship football game in 60 years.

Meiss, 49, was hired as an assistant for child welfare and attendance for the 1990-91 term, but the district announced it was cutting nine administrative positions, including Meiss’ job.

“I’m sad but not bitter,” Meiss said. “When I came to Orange High, I knew there was a risk with the district’s financial situation. Naturally, I’ll miss the players and I’ll miss the wonderful people I met.

Orange was the surprise team of the Division VIII playoffs in 1989, upsetting Atascadero, Santa Ynez and Agoura to reach the championship game against defending champion Trabuco Hills. An overflow crowd of 10,000, most of it partisan Orange fans, jammed Santa Ana Stadium to watch the title game, which Trabuco Hills won, 13-7.

Dave Zirkle, Orange athletic director, said the school would begin accepting applications for a walk-on coach Monday. He anticipated that two of Meiss’ assistants, Ben Haley and Buddy Bland, would apply.

“I think there’s a good chance Tom will come back and assist one of his former assistants if one of them gets the job,” Zirkle said. “The bottom line is, we’re back to a walk-on football coach.”