Carson Turns to Plan B and Hires Williams as Coach : Prep football: Familiarity with the school and 27-3 record as coach of the B team helped give the 38-year-old an edge over other candidates.

David Williams was so confident that he would be selected Carson High football coach that he already had been in contact with potential assistants before the official announcement of his hiring on Friday.

“Any coach knows you can’t do it alone,” said Williams, 38, Carson’s B coach for the past three seasons. “You need a solid staff. I can tell you already there are going to be a number of people who have be involved in the Carson tradition over the past 10 years returning.”

Williams guided the B team to a 27-3 record over the past three seasons, including a 10-0 record in 1992. The Colts were undefeated against City competition the past two seasons.

He replaces Marty Blankenship, who resigned last month after guiding the Colts to a 15-9-1 record in two seasons.

Williams, who teaches honors English and is an assistant track coach at Carson, already has part of his staff assembled.

He said that Jim D’Amore, a longtime assistant under former Carson coach Gene Vollnogle, would join the staff as defensive coordinator, along with his father Dave Williams Sr., a former assistant at East Los Angeles College.

In 28 seasons under Vollnogle, the winningest coach in state history, Carson was 235-66-1, including eight City championships. The Colts reached the final 16 times.

D’Amore and Blankenship took over as co-coaches after Vollnogle retired after the 1990 season.

The Colts finished 6-5-1 in their first season without Vollnogle--the school’s worst record since 1968. D’Amore resigned, leaving the program to Blankenship.

Carson finished 9-4-1 in 1992 after an 0-2-1 start. The Colts won nine of 10 games before suffering their first shutout in 25 seasons a 17-0 loss to Sylmar in the 4-A Division championship game.

Blankenship, 44, resigned March 19 in the midst of rumors he was forced to step down by the administration.

Williams, who was hired by Vollnogle in 1990, is well aware of the pressure associated with the Carson job. He talked with Vollnogle after learning of his hiring.

“I consider him a friend and he has a lot to offer,” Williams said. “I’m hoping he’ll be someone I can turn to. The Carson community rallies around the school and there may be occasional difficulties, but I wanted the opportunity.”

Williams taught at Dorsey for 10 years and coached the Dons’ B team from 1986-89. Among the players he coached at Dorsey were Chris Mims, a defensive end with the San Diego Chargers, and Beno Bryant, a senior tailback at the University of Washington last season.

Williams, a 1972 graduate of Pasadena High, ran track at UC Irvine, where he was NCAA Division II All-American in the 100 meters in 1974 and ’75. He also served as a team captain with Steve Scott, the American record holder in the mile.

Williams was chosen from a list of applicants that came from as far away as Colorado. He was among three finalists that included Rowen Tupuivao, an assistant at Santa Monica College, and Armando Gonzalez, the offensive coordinator at East L.A. College.

Tupuivao, a Carson linebacker from 1972-73, holds the school career record for most tackles with 263. He has also served as an assistant at Carson and El Camino.

Gonzalez guided Franklin to three City 3-A titles and a 44-5 record in four seasons as coach before going to East L.A. in 1990.

Carson Principal Dhyan Lal said Williams’ familiarity with the school and the program gave him an edge over the other candidates.