Rush Resigns as Mission Viejo Coach : Football: Decision, which ends his five-year reign with Diablos, catches his assistants off guard.

Mike Rush resigned Friday as football coach at Mission Viejo High School, Principal Robert Metz said.

But sources close to Rush said he was forced to resign as part of the administration’s “hidden agenda.”

“I think Mike was railroaded, just from the things I heard from other sources and the things I heard directly,” said an assistant coach who asked not to be identified. “There was some friction between Mike and the administration. Personally, I feel there was a vendetta by the administration.”

Metz denied Rush had been fired.

“Mike was the one who made the decision to resign,” Metz said. “That was his decision.”

Rush was unavailable for comment.

The news caught his assistant coaches off guard. Rush met with them Friday afternoon.

“I was surprised,” defensive coordinator Bill Denny said. “I guess it had been developing over the past week. I’m disappointed, but I’m not sure of all the circumstances. I don’t want to pass judgment.”

Others did, on Rush as well as the administration.

“Mike worked very hard and wanted to do well,” one former coach said. “He was very, very committed to football. But I think he lost sight of things. He couldn’t see the forest for the trees.”

The coach said Rush had had a falling out with couple of longtime assistants. When he took over in 1988, much of the staff had been together for more then a decade. Several of those coaches had quit in recent years.

Rush also began hoarding athletes, the former coach said.

“A few years ago, we were all sharing athletes,” the coach said. “Then that changed. Some coaches are into empire building.”

Other coaches blamed the administration.

“At times, coaches seem to be the fall guys,” an assistant said. “I don’t think this has anything to do with wins and losses.”

Rush, Diablo head coach for five seasons, had a record of 45-16. The Diablos won two South Coast League titles in that time, reaching the Southern Section Division III semifinals in 1988 and the Division II semifinals in 1989 and 1990.

Last season, the Diablos finished tied for third place at 5-6, their only losing season under Rush. They were eliminated in the first round of the Division I playoffs by La Puente Bishop Amat, 38-0.

Rush spent 10 years as an assistant at Mission Viejo before becoming the head coach. The Diablos won a Southern Section Central Conference championship in 1981 and lost to Santa Ana, 31-21, in the 1986 Southern Conference title game.

Metz said the school would begin the process of replacing Rush on Monday.