Love It or Leave It : Engilman Again Contemplates Resigning as Coach at Sylmar

For at least the past three years, Sylmar High football Coach Jeff Engilman has been singing the same tune at the end of each season.

Although it has never been titled, a song by The Clash will suffice: “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

“If I was to say right now, it’s about 90% that I’m not gonna be back next year,” said Engilman, who is 75-17-2 with two City Section 4-A Division titles since taking over at Sylmar in 1987.

Since the end of the 1991 season, Engilman has expressed doubts about remaining in the coaching business. Reasons range from half-hearted player commitment to his health.

The past couple of years have been particularly hard on Engilman, perhaps the most controversial coach in the region.

Doctors instructed Engilman to cool it about a year ago when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. But he maintained his ranting and raving style on the sidelines.

Also, Engilman is still reeling from recent investigations and sanctions against his team. Sylmar administrators were forced to defend the actions of the school’s football players or coaches four times in a span of about 15 months.

Sylmar is on probation through Sept. 13 for participating in a passing-league game with Pierce College players.

In the most recent incident, Sylmar survived a day-long investigation into a player eligibility matter the day before a quarterfinal playoff game. City Section Commissioner Barbara Fiege determined that the evidence regarding the residency of Joe Gonzalez, a midseason transfer from Saugus, was inconclusive.

So, with all that surrounds one of the area’s most successful football programs, will the 1994 City 4-A championship season be Engilman’s swan song?

It’s anyone’s guess. He said he will decide early next year.

“Basically it’s the kids,” he said. “The guys don’t respect anything. (And) I think my style of coaching is starting to burn not only me, but I think it burns on a part of the kids.”

No other City team has been as successful in the ‘90s as Sylmar, the only team to have won 10 or more games for five consecutive seasons.

“It would be a nice situation to take the City championship and say this is the nice way to go out,” Engilman said. “But I got (four) City championships. I don’t believe there is another active City coach that has three.”

There has been talk that Engilman would have left after last season but didn’t because of the talented group of returning players--a rumor the coach denies.

“I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I would never stay for a ballplayer,” he said. “When I deem it necessary to go, I’m gonna go.”

Factoring into Engilman’s decision is the loss of assistants Dan Moreno and Dan Kelley, who have resigned.

Engilman, 44, who began his coaching career as a B coach at Poly, said he hit bottom in the semifinal playoff game against Carson.

“It was a long week. It’s been a long year,” he said. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, Jeff, you’re that way every year.’ Well, I got a different feeling this time around.”