Workman back on OCC staff

Steve Virgen

Bill Workman, who was the head coach of the Orange Coast College

football team from 1986-1998, has returned to the Pirates’ coaching

staff and will work as the team’s quarterbacks coach for the

remainder of the season.

Current quarterbacks coach Phil Cooper, who played as a

quarterback for Workman at Edison High in Huntington Beach, will join

the police academy and will work in his last game, Saturday, when the

Pirates play at Mt. San Antonio, OCC Coach Mike Taylor said. Cooper

will still work as an assistant to a lesser degree, depending on time

constraints.

To fill the vacancy, Taylor called Workman to fill the void.

Taylor worked with Workman as a defensive coordinator throughout

Workman’s coaching years at Coast and at Edison, where they won

back-to-back CIF Big Five Conference crowns in 1979 and 1980.

“The hardest part is learning a new system,” said Workman, who

compiled a 63-70 record, one bowl victory and two other bowl

appearances in his 13 years at OCC. “I was at practice (Wednesday)

and I’ve been doing my homework. It’s my second coaching job this

season. I coached Edison when they played in Hawaii, when I got the

last-second call to go to coach for one game. Now I’m back in it

again. I don’t know, maybe it’s destiny.”

Taylor said Workman will also be involved with the week-to-week

game plan. Workman’s first game with the Pirates will be when they

battle Pasadena, the top-ranked team in Southern California, Oct. 12

at 7 p.m. at Pasadena City College. OCC, which defeated El Camino,

28-10, Saturday, is 2-1 and No. 14 in Southern California.

“I’m starting to get a handle on what’s going on over there,”

Workman said. “ For a long time I was working with my system. I

created it. I knew that. Now it’s a different deal. I know Phil

Cooper. He played for me at Edison. (OCC receivers coach) Junior

Tagaloa played for me at Coast. (Special teams coach Paul) Briggs and

Taylor coached for me at Coast, and so did (offensive line coach)

Kurt Clemens. It’s not like I’m stranger. It will be fun. They’re off

to a good start. There’s still work to get done.”