Trabuco Hills Officially Names Barnett Coach

Jim Barnett was officially named the football coach of Trabuco Hills High School in a meeting of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees Tuesday night.

Barnett, who has served as head coach at Long Beach Poly for the past five seasons, will attempt to build a program at Orange County’s newest high school. Trabuco Hills will consist of grades 9, 10 and 11 next fall and will have an estimated enrollment of 800. The Mustangs will compete as a freelance team in 1985 before moving into a new league with Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Woodbridge, Orange and Costa Mesa in 1986.

Barnett became the coach at Long Beach Poly in 1980 when Gene Noji accepted the football coaching postion at newly opened Woodbridge. The Jackrabbits were Moore League champions in 1984 and finished the season at 10-2, losing to eventual champion Riverside Poly in the Big Five Conference semifinals. They reached the Big Five championship game under Barnett in 1982, losing to a Servite team led by quarterback Steve Beuerlein.