South Pasadena’s Fountain of Youth : UCLA Student, Recent Graduate of Occidental Guide Tigers Into Playoffs

Jeff Chi has spent untold hours this week watching videotape, refining schemes and concocting new plays.

In short, he is devoting long days and nights doing everything a high school football coach is wont to do on the eve of the playoffs.

Like his colleagues, Chi is hoping to engineer a victory and advance to the second round. However, he is probably the only coach in Southern California who is juggling game preparations with his engineering homework.

Chi, a student at UCLA, and Dave Martinez, a recent graduate of Occidental College, are the twentysomething coaches at South Pasadena High, where youth is being served on the field and along the sideline.

Chi, 23, and Martinez, 22, were officially handed the reigns of the Tiger program in August--about two weeks before the start of workouts. The two recruited a walk-on staff of volunteer assistants and helped lead a South Pasadena team to a 7-2-1 record and second-place finish in the Rio Hondo League.

South Pasadena is one of 22 San Gabriel Valley teams that earned berths in the Southern Section playoffs. The Tigers play at La Mirada (8-2) Friday night.

“What these two kids have accomplished at their age is truly remarkable,” said South Pasadena Athletic Director Jim Yang, who coached varsity football at the school for 10 years. “I had my reservations when we gave them the job because they were young and inexperienced. But I also knew they had a good bunch of kids to work with and that they were going to put in a lot of time. Both of them are eager and enthusiastic, and that all paid off.”

Neither Chi nor Martinez was a stranger to the South Pasadena program, which had fallen on hard times the past three years. They graduated from the school in 1987. Chi was a defensive back and receiver and Martinez a lineman.

They began their coaching careers while they were high school students, working with incoming freshmen after their senior seasons. Both coached at lower levels of the Tiger program the last three years.

Neither had designs on the varsity job. Chi is studying to be an engineer. Martinez earned his degree in exercise science and hopes to attend graduate school and become a trainer.

A unique set of circumstances led to their hiring.

First came the resignation of Pat Mack as coach at the end of the Tigers’ 1-9 season in 1990. As school administrators began their search for an experienced replacement, Chi and Martinez assumed the responsibility of running the spring program.

“Every time we asked them when they were going to hire a coach, they said, ‘Soon, soon, soon,’ ” Chi said. “After we got through spring ball, we felt like we could do the job, but we never really asked for it.”

Administrators were handcuffed in their pursuit of a coach because several teachers at the school had received layoff notices. Faculty members made it clear that hiring a full-time coach while others were losing their jobs would be looked upon unfavorably.

In the end, no teachers were let go, but the school was still without a coach when the school year ended in June.

With the help of volunteer assistants, Chi and Martinez stepped up the level of competition in summer passing leagues. They purposely scheduled games against City Section teams in different areas of Los Angeles to toughen the players for the regular season.

Yang said the coaching position was offered to one experienced candidate, but that candidate declined the job. As the fall semester approached, South Pasadena was still without a coach.

“Rather than hire a candidate from the outside with no varsity experience, we decided to go with Jeff and David,” Yang said. “They were alumni, had been in the program and the boosters and the kids liked them.”

South Pasadena began the season with consecutive victories over San Gabriel, Hoover and El Monte before losing, 23-20, to Crescenta Valley. But the Tigers rebounded and defeated Rio Hondo League champion Temple City for the first time in 12 years.

“The way they coach and teach makes you have confidence in what you’re doing,” junior lineman Matt Ziegler said. “They make everything balanced. Everyone on the team is treated equally.”

Martinez said the same approach applies to the nine-man coaching staff.

“What we have accomplished is really a testament to the work of our staff,” Martinez said. “Age is not a factor because we are very receptive to our assistants’ knowledge and experience.

“There are some things I can’t offer players because of my age. I can’t be a father figure, but we have some guys on our staff who can be.

“The point is, there is no ego thing going on because everyone just wanted to work together to get the program back on its feet.”

Despite the success of Chi and Martinez, Yang said no decision has been made regarding the coaching position for next season.

Both coaches have expressed interest in returning.

But for now, their concentration is on the playoffs.

“We went through a lot this year,” Chi said. “We learned a lot about how to win and how to lose the right way. Now we just have to learn what it takes to win in the playoffs.”