Valhalla Coach Odom Resigns

Citing personal reasons, John Odom resigned Friday as the head football coach at Valhalla High School.

Odom spent only two years as the head coach at the East County school--compiling 4-6 records both seasons--but it seemed much longer to him.

This past year alone, Valhalla linebacker Marc Beeson was killed in a one-car accident in October.

Five days later, the Norsemen were informed they had been ruled ineligible for the San Diego Section playoffs and had to forfeit one victory because of an admitted illegal preseason practice in August.

Ironically, those penalties would have been lifted automatically if Odom had resigned then. But Odom refused to do so on principle, and he had the backing of his principal, Bob Avant, his athletic director, Carl Iavelli, and his players.

Eventually, after three appeals, the sanctions were reduced, making Valhalla once again eligible for the playoffs. The Norsemen, however, lost three of their last four games and did not qualify.

Odom, 33, a one-time ASB president at Monte Vista High, will continue on as a physical education teacher at Valhalla and could land a position as a community college assistant coach teaching offensive linemen. Grossmont and Southwestern colleges have shown interest in hiring Odom, who was once a small college All-American lineman at Cal Lutheran.

Odom, who enjoys bodybuilding and has a personal gym in his garage, was a high-profile bodyguard for rocker David Lee Roth before returning to school for his teaching credential.

After serving as an assistant at Valhalla for six years, he became the head coach in 1990, succeeding Iavelli.