Winningest Coach in County Is ‘Fired’

Dick Hill, the winningest high school football coach in Orange County history, cleaned out his desk Tuesday and reluctantly ended his eight years as coach at Santa Ana High School.

Hill, 63, said he was fired. Principal Andy Hernandez said it was merely school policy.

Hill, who compiled a record of 196-87-3 during his 26-year career in the county, will retire from teaching at the end of the school year. He said he wanted to remain as football coach in a walk-on capacity.

But Hernandez said that was not possible because Hill would no longer be a full-time staff member.

“I view it as a firing, without hesitation,” Hill said. “I don’t understand it.”

Hernandez said Hill was welcome to remain as coach as long as he continued to teach.

“It’s our philosophy that we keep the number of walk-on coaches to a minimum,” Hernandez said. “We feel that with the complexity of a football program, we need a full-time staff member. He decided he did not want to coach and also teach.”

Hill has been a business teacher at Santa Ana the past 11 years. As a full-time coach, Hill said he would be able to help the athletes more.

Last fall, 16 Santa Ana football players became ineligible after the routine grade checks in November, according to Hill.

“We have so many kids that need help at Santa Ana,” Hill said. “You need to counsel them. You need to talk to the parents. You need to get things done. You try to keep up with those things, but, as a teacher, your time is limited. Being a full-time coach would make me more available.

“Someone along the line missed an opportunity to see what can be done for the kids.”

Jim O’Hara was the last walk-on varsity head football coach in the Santa Ana Unified School District, according to Hill. O’Hara coached at Santa Ana Valley in 1980.

Currently, Bob Glassman, the varsity baseball coach, and Scott Glabb, the varsity wrestling coach, are walk-ons at Santa Ana. Glassman is a teacher at an intermediate school within the district and Glabb regularly works as a substitute teacher at Santa Ana.

“We use a walk-on only when it’s absolutely necessary,” Hernandez said. “The majority of them are on the lower divisions at the junior varsity, sophomore and freshman levels. We’ve done everything possible to have staff people as varsity head coaches.”

Hill said he was informed of the decision last week. He said that in December he had told Hernandez that he would like to remain the head coach after retiring.

“They told me they would let me know at the end of the semester, which is in January,” Hill said. “They delayed it a terribly long time.”

Hill, who taught a sixth-period football class, cleared out of the athletic department Tuesday. He said he asked to be reassigned during sixth period and now teaches a social studies class during that time.

“If I wasn’t the coach, I didn’t want to be a problem to who is going to be the coach,” Hill said.

His reputation may linger, however.

Last season, he passed Herb Hill as the county’s winningest coach. Herb Hill, who coached at Loara and Rancho Alamitos, had a record of 191-114-11.

Dick Hill was the head coach at Downey for one season, leading the Vikings to a 12-0-1 record and a Southern Section Major Division co-championship in 1956.

Downey tied Anaheim, 13-13, in the title game.

In 1991, Santa Ana was 5-6 but won the Sunset League with a 5-1 record. The Saints lost, 35-13, to Canyon Country Canyon in the first round of the Division I playoffs.

Hill led the Saints to the Division III championship in 1985. They reached the title game again in 1986, losing to El Toro. At Santa Ana Valley, where he coached 18 years, Hill won the 3-A championships in 1961 and 1974.

“I wanted to be a coach ever since I was a kid,” Hill said in an interview last fall. “I was blessed to become one, and any by-product of that is a blessing.”

Hill said he would like to continue coaching elsewhere, either as head coach or an assistant.

“I plan to coach as long as I’m healthy and as long as I enjoy it,” he said. “I’m still healthy and I still enjoy it.”

Dick Hill’s Career

Year School W-L-T 1956 Downey 12-0-1 1959 Santa Ana Valley 4-5-0 1960 Santa Ana Valley 9-3-0 1961 Santa Ana Valley 12-0-0 1962 Santa Ana Valley 8-1-0 1963 Santa Ana Valley 8-3-1 1964 Santa Ana Valley 9-2-0 1965 Santa Ana Valley 7-3-0 1966 Santa Ana Valley 5-4-0 1970 Santa Ana Valley 0-9-0 1971 Santa Ana Valley 5-4-0 1972 Santa Ana Valley 8-2-0 1973 Santa Ana Valley 9-1-0 1974 Santa Ana Valley 11-1-2 1975 Santa Ana Valley 11-1-0 1976 Santa Ana Valley 8-3-0 1977 Santa Ana Valley 10-1-0 1978 Santa Ana Valley 6-5-0 1979 Santa Ana Valley 5-5-0 1984 Santa Ana 3-7-0 1985 Santa Ana 10-4-0 1986 Santa Ana 12-2-0 1987 Santa Ana 11-2-0 1988 Santa Ana 8-4-0 1989 Santa Ana 9-3-0 1990 Santa Ana 3-7-0 1991 Santa Ana 5-6-0 Totals 27 seasons 208-87-4