Hazelton Looks to Challenge of Burbank Job

Former Montclair Prep coach John Hazelton accepted the head-coaching job at Burbank High Tuesday, six days after the Burbank school board offered it to him.

Hazelton, 42, took the position without a guarantee of a teaching job in the Burbank School District but said he is looking forward to the challenge of turning around the fortunes of a team that finished 2-8 last season.

“I’m sure we can establish a program that the school and the community is proud of and the kids are happy to compete in,” said Hazelton, who won’t guarantee instant success for a community hungry for victories.

He pointed to the 1994 schedule, which includes seven tough opponents--Crescenta Valley, Quartz Hill, Verbum Dei, Glendale, Hart, Canyon and Saugus.

“We’re the little guys in town--and I haven’t been that for a while,” Hazelton said. “But they’re not losers over there in Burbank. They’re enthusiastic and ready to go.”

Hazelton was co-head coach at Montclair Prep from 1982-83, head coach from 1984-85 and a Mountie assistant the past five seasons. Over the 1984-85 seasons, his teams went 19-7 and produced one Southern Section championship.

He was also a volunteer assistant at USC in 1986, head coach at Banning in 1987 and defensive coordinator at Valley College in 1988.

“He doesn’t have a job teaching here,” Burbank vice-principal Jim Perske said. “We hope he will this fall. That makes it difficult for John. That’s a major sacrifice.”

Hazelton and his assistants, Jim Clausen, John Greaves and Les Himes, will work as volunteers this semester, beginning today with a team meeting and the first conditioning session.