Grimes Changes Coaching Jobs at N. Hollywood

North Hollywood High’s Fred Grimes switched hats Tuesday, resigning as football coach and accepting an offer to take over as baseball coach.

Grimes, who compiled a 23-22-1 record over five seasons as football coach, said he resigned because of personal reasons and will begin seeking a transfer to an L.A. Unified School District campus that is closer to his home in Simi Valley.

Grimes, 42, said he expects to coach the baseball team for one season.

“I’d like to spend more time with my family,” said Grimes, who played quarterback at Valley College and Cal State Northridge from 1971-74. “I’m hoping to transfer to a school in the West Valley.”

Grimes said his resignation had nothing to do with previous staffing problems. Two seasons ago, Grimes was the lone on-campus coach for both the varsity and B football teams. This season, North Hollywood hired two on-campus coaches for the B team as well as a varsity assistant.

The Huskies finished 5-4 overall and third in East Valley League play.

“Actually, the situation is as solid as it’s been since I got here,” Grimes said. “I just want to give them as much lead time as possible to find a new coach. Hopefully, they can find a guy to come in for spring ball.”

Grimes said he has not recommended a successor.

Grimes assumes control of a baseball team that finished 10-12 and advanced to the City Section 4-A Division playoffs last season. Grimes coached baseball at Manual Arts from 1975-78 and at St. Genevieve from 1979-80.

Marty Biegel, who coached the baseball team for one season as a walk-on last spring, recently informed the school that he would not return.

James Lippett, an assistant varsity football coach, will help Grimes with the baseball program and will coach the junior varsity.

“It allowed us to keep it in-house and that’s what we really wanted to do,” second-year Athletic Director Jim Szabo said of Grimes’ hiring.

Lippett appears to be the leading candidate to replace Grimes as football coach because he has worked in the program and is an on-campus teacher.

North Hollywood has had trouble hiring coaches because the school has not had openings for physical education teachers. That problem will be alleviated to an extent when former head football and baseball Coach Fred Neilson retires in the spring.

Szabo also announced that Sherwin Boucher will coach the softball team. Boucher, a math teacher, will leave his position as boys’ tennis coach to run the softball program. Boucher also coached girls’ volleyball.

The tennis position will be filled by Joe Trahan, an on-campus teacher who has experience coaching tennis.

Staff writer Sean Waters contributed to this story.