Landress Relinquishes Post as Cleveland Football Coach

Cleveland High football Coach Steve Landress, who said he has been “to the top of the mountain and all the way back down,” announced Friday that he will not return next season as coach of the Cavaliers.

As a co-coach, Landress led Manual Arts to City Section 3-A Division titles in 1983 and 1984. Cleveland stumbled to an 0-8-1 record this season, however, and forfeited its first-round 4-A playoff game against Taft because of injuries and academic ineligibilities.

“I’m kind of sorry it had to end on a note like this,” Landress said. “But there’s a time and a place to sit back, and it’s that time.”

Landress will remain at Cleveland, where he coaches the junior varsity baseball team. He said he hopes to take over the varsity baseball team in the spring of 1991 after Rich Raymond retires.

Landress worked at Cleveland as an assistant from 1976-79 before moving to Manual Arts, where he co-coached with Jeff Engilman, now at Sylmar High. In 1985, he returned to Cleveland, his alma mater.

Landress coached several talented running backs during his career, including former Manual Arts tailback Steve Broussard (Atlanta Falcons) and former Cleveland standouts Albert Fann (Cal State Northridge) and Sean Burwell (Oregon).

According to Landress, no replacement has been selected, but he said candidates include San Fernando assistant Chris Richards and Cleveland administrator Everett Massey, who will run the Cavaliers’ off-season football program.