Laguna names new football coach

Laguna Beach High School has hired Jimmy Nolan as its new head

football coach, the school’s Athletic Director Ron Schwartz said

Thursday.

Nolan replaces Dave Holland, who retired at the end of the 2003

season.

Nolan is a 1992 graduate of Mater Dei, where he was a member of

the National Honor Society and Associated Student Body vice president

for two years.

He received a scholarship to play football at the University of

Utah and graduated from the university with a bachelor’s degree in

sociology.

Nolan coached at both Mater Dei and Fountain Valley before

accepting the position of head coach at Cantwell Sacred-Heart of

Mary.

Before Nolan’s arrival, Cantwell went 3-27 between 1998 and 2001.

In Nolan’s first year at the Montebello campus, the Cardinals went

10-0. During his two years at Cantwell, the Cardinals were

back-to-back undefeated league championships and captured their first

playoff victory in the history of the school.

Three athletes received scholarships, which had never happened at

Cantwell. In addition, the Cantwell football team had the highest

grade-point average in the history of the program.

Some of Nolan’s honors as prep head coach include: 2002 Los

Angeles Coach of the Year; 2002 San Gabriel Valley Coach of the Year;

2002 Cable “Sports Rap-up” Coach of the Year; KABC’s NFL Monday Night

Football Coach of the Week, and 2003 Cable “Sports Rap-up” Coach of

the Year.

Nolan has helped more than 40 prep athletes receive scholarships

in the past five years.

-- Mike Sciacca