St. Bernard announces it won’t have a football team this fall

St. Bernard’s football team will not play this fall, the school announced Tuesday. More than 20 players have left the program since the spring season ended and former coach Manuel Douglas resigned.

The school previously announced in April it was cooperating in an “investigation by federal law enforcement concerning a former coach and volunteer” of the football program. Previous coaches in the program insist they have been told not to discuss the investigation.

Douglas resigned in 2020 after a long tenure at Narbonne and dispute with the Los Angeles Unified School District. He was hired at St. Bernard and coached last spring during the COVID-19 season until resigning before the team’s final game. The school also has lost its principal and president.

Former Manual Arts standout Steve Broussard was hired to take over the program during the summer and will stay as an assistant dean, according to the announcement sent to parents. He will run a conditioning program.

Meanwhile, numerous former St. Bernard players have enrolled at other schools. The decision not to have a team will force scheduled opponents to scramble to find new opponents. The season begins Aug. 19.