CdM football job in limbo

News of a new football coach at Corona del Mar High created a buzz at the school.

Four months without a coach over with, the frustration gone. The school found its man, Jason Hitchens, a proven winner at St. Margaret’s and El Modena.

Paul Orris, the school’s athletic director, stood proud before it got dark Friday. He eagerly waited for a phone call, the one making it official.

The call came in the afternoon. Fal Asrani, the school’s principal, gave the 60-year-old words he struggled to come to grips with.

“First she asked if I was sitting down,” said Orris, understandably since this was his first week back since recovering from brain aneurysm surgery almost two months ago. “Then she said there was a problem.”

The Sea Kings hit another roadblock during a tumultuous search for their next coach.

Hitchens said he never signed the contract he intended to at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District office Thursday, disagreeing with the number of teaching years the district credited him with in the deal.

Now the 46-year-old history teacher said he’s not 100 percent certain he will accept the Sea Kings’ offer, possibly making Hitchens the third straight candidate to turn down the job in less than a month’s time.

“It kind of depends on the district. We had kind of a [verbal] agreement in terms of experience,” said Hitchens, adding that he has been teaching for 17 years. “I stepped back to see if the district is willing to do anything. I hope by Monday, or Tuesday that [it] will.

“I was quite excited. This is a great opportunity, a great school, and there are a lot of positives associated with Corona del Mar High. But I truly have to make a decision that’s in the best interest for me and my family.”

Orris said he understands family comes first.

But he’s hoping Hitchens signs because his successful background, a 14-0 season and a CIF Southern Section Northeast Division championship in his one-year stint at St. Margaret’s in 2006, and three league titles while at El Modena from 1998-2003, can turn around a CdM program finishing 4-5 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Orris said this contract dispute “puts a damper” on a program trying to move forward after Dick Freeman was fired in December after posting a 67-69-2 record in 12-plus seasons.

The problem Orris said now lies on Hitchens’ teaching credential. He said Asrani told him why the district dropped the maximum 13 years it planned to credit Hitchens.

They will try to resolve the issue at a meeting on Monday, Orris said.

“Jason’s teaching credential has lapsed,” said Orris, adding that this is a union issue dealing with the pay scale. “He hasn’t renewed it. This happened over a period of five or six years. The gist of the whole thing is that it reduces how many years the district will offer him in transferring into the district.”

With this recent coaching episode, whoever assumes control at CdM might find it hard to retain some players.

Alex Swigert, who will be a junior running back next year, said teammates have brought up the idea of possibly transferring to private and public schools because of their frustration of having no coach this late in the offseason. Spring practice is scheduled next month.

Swigert said he learned that Hitchens would take over Friday morning through a teammate. He talked to senior Erik Rask, saying the University of Pennsylvania-bound linebacker was involved in the interviewing process and vouched for Hitchens, calming those considering leaving. That lasted a few hours.

Later in the day, Swigert learned of Hitchens possibly reneging and returning to Villa Park, where he was a defensive coordinator last season.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Swigert, who plans to battle for the starting running back job with JD Abbott, who led the team with 321 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns as a sophomore last season. “That’s what happened to the last [two candidates]. Why would you even [apply] for it?”

In Hitchens’ case, he said the Sea Kings have the resources, the ability to attract and keep promising young players in the school’s boundary that might choose powerhouse programs like Mater Dei, and the support to be Pacific Coast League championship contenders every year. The Sea Kings, coming off a 1-2 league record, lose 11 senior starters to graduation.

Still everything looked to be in place to Hitchens before he made the trip to sign the necessary paperwork.

“This time of year it’s hard to get assistants,” Hitchens said. “I have some guys, a good core of loyal guys who are interested in joining me wherever I go, so I’m not worried about putting a staff together. No one is coming as of now and I don’t want to name names and burden them, because I still haven’t decided if I’m taking the job.

“I want to be a head coach again. I want to manage a game and allow my assistants to run the offense and defense, the special teams. It’s hard to do it all.”

Freeman tried last season before everything fell apart. Hitchens saw it happen. He stood on the other side of the field against CdM last year, helping Villa Park win, 21-6, the school’s lone victory in 2007.

But what Hitchens saw talent-wise with the Sea Kings, he liked very much.

“I was joking with Pat [Mahoney],” said Hitchens of Villa Park’s longtime coach, “and the [CdM interviewing] panel that I’m over here at Villa Park getting those players bigger and stronger and that this might hurt me if I go to CdM.”

The two schools will play again this year. CdM is hoping Hitchens is on its sideline.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].