Redell’s Coaching Hiatus Ends

Whenever Bill Redell drove past St. Francis High from his home in Westlake Village to his office in South Pasadena, a single thought ran through his mind.

“I always thought that if a job came up there, it would be perfect,” said Redell, on a football-coaching hiatus the past four years.

St. Francis fired Coach Andy Boynton in January. The day he read about Boynton in the newspaper, Redell called Father Lawrence Caruso, St. Francis’ principal, to inquire about the opening. Redell joked that, during the two-month search period, he “specifically spaced people to call (Caruso) every three days, so he wouldn’t forget me.”

Caruso didn’t.

At a new conference on Wednesday, Caruso introduced Redell, 50, as the school’s new football coach.

“I feel very fortunate to come back and coach high school football,” said Redell, who coached Crespi in 1982 and 1985-88, leading the Celts to a Big Five Conference championship in 1986. “I missed it in the last four years I was out. I missed teaching the game.”

Redell, 43-16-1 with the Celts, left Crespi after the 1988 season to follow the career of his son Ron, a defensive back at Stanford.

While out of coaching, Redell continued to work full-time for an insurance company. He said the transition to part-time insurance executive and part-time coach should not be a tough one.

Redell takes over a program that was 3-6 last year. Boynton was fired after only two seasons. Two of the Golden Knights’ more talented players--tight end Rome Douglas and running back Chris McAlister--transferred in January.