Coach features: Jeff Brinkley - Answering the call

Barry Faulkner

Jeff Brinkley’s childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete

finally ended when, after fruitless tryouts with the Dodgers, Angels,

Expos and Reds, he missed a phone call from the Kansas City Royals, who

needed a farmhand and immediately contacted and signed someone else.

But, those who have observed Brinkley’s 14-year tenure as football

coach and physical education teacher at Newport Harbor High, would

seriously refute any claim that he missed his calling.

Since assuming the Sailors’ helm, he has forged a 107-51-1 record, including the school’s only two CIF Southern Section championships (1994

and ‘99), two CIF runner-up finishes and trips to at least the semifinals

nine of the last 13 years.

The Newport-Mesa District career victory leader, however, is revered

for much more than his impressive bottom line, which includes averaging

nearly 10 wins over the last eight campaigns.

His uncompromising insistence on hard work, personal integrity and

sublimation of self for a commitment to the program and the community,

have helped chisel “Newport Football” into the landscape of Orange County

athletics.

“We’ve developed a very tight-knit family atmosphere in our program,

which I’m very proud of,” Brinkley said. “I’ve been very fortunate to

have a staff of loyal coaches who believe what I believe philosophically.

We’re all in this business for the kids and building good citizens.”

A handbook, crafted and refined over his 22-season head coaching

career, which began with three seasons at his alma mater, Excelsior in

Norwalk, then five more at Norwalk High, outlines in detail the behavior

he expects from his players on and off the field.

The result is a reinforcement of old-school values and a playing

experience former Sailors universally savor and appreciate long after

graduation.

By the time he graduated from Excelsior in 1970, Brinkley had built a

reputation as a talented and versatile athlete. He was league player of

the year as a senior quarterback, started on a league championship

basketball team and impressed pro baseball scouts as a strong-armed

catcher.

He started at quarterback as a Cerritos College freshman, but spent

the bulk of his collegiate athletic career on the diamond, including a

state championship in 1973 with the Falcons.

He was recruited to play football and baseball at Cal State Fullerton,

but concentrated on baseball for then-coach Augie Garrido.

Though hugely disappointed when he wasn’t selected in the baseball

draft, a time he termed one of the lower points in his life, he finished

work on his degree and turned his focus toward coaching.

“Growing up, I wanted to be a professional athlete and I didn’t care

which sport,” said Brinkley. “Sports consumed my life and I knew I wanted

to be involved in athletics one way or another. When I missed that phone

call, I started to think maybe (becoming a pro) wasn’t meant to be.”

After going 28-49-4 as a head coach in his home town, the lure of

better athletes drew Brinkley to Newport Harbor.

“When I met the kids that first meeting at Newport, I told them I came

here to win a CIF championship,” he recalled. “Some of them looked at me

a little strange, because that hadn’t happened here to that point, even

though they had some very good teams before I got here.”

Brinkley continued the winning momentum created by his predecessor,

Mike Giddings, and has taken the Tars to unprecedented heights.

He said his struggles in Norwalk helped him appreciate his current

run, but he’s hardly ready to rest on any laurels.

“Some guys fall into too much success too early and might not

understand how difficult achieving that success can be,” he said. “I

think going through what I did early in my career gives me an

appreciation and keeps me on edge. I still get very up tight during each

week of preparation during the season and my assistant coaches sometimes

laugh about it.”

Brinkley, 47, plans to keep striving for that success at Harbor.

“There aren’t too many jobs in America where you can wake up every day

and be anxious to get to work. I can’t think of a day that I haven’t

wanted to come in. I really, truly love my job.”