Football: Praise, appreciation for former Dorsey Coach Paul Knox

Praise and appreciation keeps coming in for former Dorsey football Coach Paul Knox, who was told on Tuesday that he would not be brought back as coach, ending his 30-season run.

Messages left for Principal Reginald Sample have not been returned. Knox said the principal told him the school wanted to move in a different direction.

John Aguirre, the commissioner of the City Section who used to coach against Knox during his days at Garfield and Carson, said, “A person gives a great portion of his life to something and you would think people would appreciate that and understand it’s more than playing football. When it comes to a man of character and respect, it doesn’t get any better than Paul.

“In victory or defeat, he does not change. H shows he undertsands what the game is about and that we’re working with kids and trying to improve their lives. For him to be around so many years is testament to the effect he’s had on so many kids.”

Dorsey has faced difficulty in keeping its program among the best in the City Section. A drop in school enrollment, the lack of an all-weather turf field (the team plays at a nearby park), the lack of depth on the offensive line _ those are among the issues the next coach will have to deal with.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer