Lance Neal is Laguna Beach’s new athletic director

Lance Neal has been named the new athletic director at Laguna Beach High School, coming from Beckman were he has been since he was hired as its athletic director in 2008.

Neal replaces Ted Clarke, who is the new head football coach at Covina Gladstone High.

“Lance just knows the job so well,” Laguna Beach Principal Chris Herzfeld said. “He’s very knowledgeable inside and out when it comes to the position, and he values academics and athletics.”

Neal said his first full day on the job was Wednesday.

He said he saw a posting a year ago that Laguna Beach was looking for a new athletic director, which was eventually filled by Clarke.

“My wife [Cindy] and I at the time were looking to move to Laguna Beach,” he said. “I saw the job opening but the timing wasn’t right. When I saw it posted again, I looked deeper into it, decided to apply and then everything worked out right. Laguna has a great tradition when it comes to academics and athletics.

“There were a few pieces that really drew me to the Laguna job. First, the academic piece, which at Laguna is very similar to Beckman. Second, Laguna and Beckman have had similar success in volleyball, tennis, as well as other sports. I’m excited to be here, at a slightly smaller school than Beckman. It’s a great community in Laguna Beach too, and that’s a big piece of it. It’s a one-high school town, and I like that.”

Baseball

A trio of Laguna Beach High pitchers have recently committed to NCAA Division 1 schools, Coach Mike Bair has confirmed: Ashton Goddard, a senior in the fall, with Utah of the Pacific-12 Conference; junior Blake Burzell to Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference;and sophomore Cutter Clawson to BYU of the West Coast Conference.