Lo steps down as football coach at HB
For the past nine years, Eric Lo has held the reins of the Huntington Beach High football program.
Last week, he stepped down as head coach of the Oilers.
Lo resigned from his coaching post but said he will continue to teach in the physical education department at the school.
“I’m stepping down to spend more time with my family,” he said. “When I started coaching here, I had no kids. We now have three (ages 8, 6, 2). I knew it was time to step aside and be there for my family.”
The Huntington football job was Lo’s first as a head coach. In his nine years, his teams went a combined 53-48, and his final squad went 3-7 overall last fall. Five of his teams (2008, ‘09, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13) made the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
“This was just an awesome opportunity,” he said. “I was hired by [former Huntington athletic director] Roy Miller in 2007, and I can’t tell you how many times I leaned on him as well as [former Laguna Beach High AD/head football coach and Lo’s mentor/former coach] Mike Churchill. I’ve also worked with some great principals.”
Through nine seasons, it was Huntington’s 2013 campaign that holds a special place for Lo.
Following a regular season that saw the Oilers finish 5-5, they went on a magical, 4-0 ride through the CIF-SS Southwest Division playoffs. They defeated league rival and defending division champion Edison in the semifinals along the way, then beat another league rival, Newport Harbor, in the division championship game at Anaheim Stadium.
The victory over Edison was the first for a Huntington team over its rival in 20 years. The title game victory over Newport Harbor gave the program its first major football championship.
“That was definitely a big highlight,” Lo said of the title run. “The semifinal win over Edison was huge for us, and broke down a huge barrier for our program.
“There also are so many other great memories. The 2011 team (9-3 record) went on the road and beat Los Angeles Loyola in a first-round [CIF] Pac-5 Division playoff game which was phenomenal. Our coaches had our team so well prepared for that game.
“Seeing these kids develop as players, grow up, get married, also has been so rewarding. The assistant coaches I have worked with have been so great and I’ve made life-long friends. When I took the job, there were about 30-40 kids out for varsity. Now, we always get between 85 and 100 and sometimes, over 100. It’s been great to see this program grow.”
Lo said that former Marina standout Brett Brown, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who has been an assistant on the Huntington staff for nine years, will serve as interim head coach.
Huntington Athletic Director Melissa Vandenbosch said Tuesday the process for hiring a new football head coach at the school will begin after the completion later this month of the first semester of the 2015-16 school year. She said the second semester of the school year starts Jan. 26.
