June 28, 2007

Corona coach dedicates himself to high school team

By JERRY SOIFER
The Press-Enterprise

CORONA - High school is out for the summer, but there is no vacation for football players and their coaches.

At Santiago High School, the behemoths on the offensive line are lifting weights, running wind sprints and sharpening technique under Jeremy Richie, an assistant coach who was in their position not too long ago.

Richie, 22, commutes almost daily from his home in Huntington Beach to prepare the Sharks for their season opener in September. He is a sophomore at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. Richie graduated from Santiago in 2003.

Santiago head coach Steve Mitchell said Richie is unique because "it's hard to find young coaches who work that hard ... I've given him a lot of responsibility in maintaining the line. I appreciate what he does for the players. He's incredibly loyal. He studies film. He's very aware of the opponents. He's really a student of the game."

Jordan Johnson, 16, said, "He (Richie) pushes you to your limits. He gets the extra effort."

R. J. Garcia, 16, said, "He works to 2 and 3 (o'clock) in the morning to be there for us. We have night workouts. He was there for us."

Richie played three years of varsity football at Santiago. He played a year and a half at Riverside Community College before back and leg injuries ended his career. At the time, he was studying in preparation for taking over his family's office furniture business.

Mitchell and his assistant Kent Lindsay asked Richie to work with the team as an assistant. Since accepting, Richie has changed his career goals. He is now studying at Orange Coast to be a math teacher and a coach. He plans on transferring to Cal State Fullerton to earn his bachelor's degree and teaching credential.

Richie said he loves the passion, enthusiasm and camaraderie of football.

"Being around the kids and being able to help them out," he said, "through the trials and tribulations and seeing them grow as young men and young individuals. It's really good to see that maturation process and be a part of that."