Russ McHale, who led Buena Park’s football...

Russ McHale, who led Buena Park’s football team to a second-place finish in the Freeway League, has resigned after one season as the team’s interim coach.

McHale, 40, inherited the program last summer after former Coach Martin Luczaj abruptly resigned, and led Buena Park to a 4-7 record. The Coyotes lost six consecutive games to open the season but rebounded to win four consecutive league games.

Buena Park qualified for the Southern Section playoffs for the third year in a row and lost to Culver City, 17-13, in the first round of the Division VII playoffs.

“I’d like to be a part of the program next season, but I told our principal it would be best that I resign so that they could open up the door to all applicants,” McHale said. “I wanted the hiring process to be as clean as possible.”

McHale said he would remain at Buena Park as a special education teacher. The school also announced that Dan Hirsch has been hired as the boys’ athletic director.