Longtime Charter Oak High football coach Lou Farrar dies at 73

Lou Farrar, a legendary high school football coach in the San Gabriel Valley who spent 39 years at Covina Charter Oak, died Sunday morning after a battle with leukemia. He was 73.

Farrar’s illness forced him to miss Charter Oak’s season opener in August, and the team wore orange patches in his honor. There was a bone marrow drive last summer to try to find a match for Farrar, who coached for more than 50 years.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to beat this thing,” Farrar said.

His son, Dominic, coached Charter Oak this season. Players, alumni, fans and opposing coaches rallied to support Farrar.

Farrar won five Southern Section championships and had more than 300 coaching victories. In October, the Charter Oak Unified School Board voted to name the football stadium in his honor.

Funeral arrangements are pending.