Warriors begin quest for new football coach

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Fallbrook High School has begun the search for a new head football coach.

Troy Everhart, who coached the Warriors for the past three seasons, accepted a position as head coach at Troy High School in Troy, Ohio. Everhart had been a head coach in Ohio for 14 years before accepting the Fallbrook position.

“This is a personal choice based upon the mandates that all educators in California will be facing next fall. This has nothing to do with Fallbrook Union High School District or the outstanding young men and women who I have been fortunate to have served over the past three years,” Everhart stated. “I wanted to make the best decision possible for all of us here at Fallbrook. I believe now is the best time. This allows Mr. Walker to find a coach who can be in place with time to transition before spring ball. I have full faith that the right person will emerge to move this program forward.”

Patrick Walker is Fallbrook High School’s athletic director. Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez is the Fallbrook Union High School District superintendent. “I am very thankful to Mr. Walker and Dr. Garza-Gonzalez for their understanding of my personal choices and freedoms and allowing me the opportunity to transition,” Everhart stated. “Because of their support they have given the Warriors the best opportunity to move forward. Their leadership during my tenure is greatly appreciated.”

The school district released Everhart from his FUHSD contract. Everhart accepted the Troy High School position Jan. 21 when he was released from his contract after being offered the Ohio opening the week before.

California’s vaccine mandate for school staff will take effect for the 2022-23 school year. “I am choosing to leave now by choice, but it’s either that or walk the plank,” Everhart said. “I’m deeply disappointed that it’s come to this, but it is what it is.”

Everhart chose not to stay for the spring semester in the hopes that the vaccine mandate would be rescinded. “Had I waited with the hope that common sense would prevail I would have been gambling with the Warriors’ 2022 season, one which I feel will be a great one. We would likely be facing this same situation this upcoming July. Having taken over in July of 2019, I know that it is not an ideal situation,” Everhart stated.

Jim Fisher was hired to coach the Warriors in March 2019, but his wife was selected to be the University of Michigan field hockey coach and Fisher moved to Michigan and resigned from the Fallbrook position in July 2019. Fallbrook then hired Everhart later that month.

Walker has been Fallbrook High School’s athletic director since 2007. Walker’s first season as the Warriors’ athletic director was Patrick Schmidt’s second and final season as the head football coach. Joe Silvey coached the Warriors from 2008 to 2012. Kyle Williams was Fallbrook’s head coach from 2013 to 2015. Bob Burt was the 2016 head coach. Darius Pickett coached Fallbrook in 2017 and 2018.

“I’ve done this many times, and we’ve had many solid hires,” Walker said. “I’m looking forward to stability in the football program and a coach who’s going to stay for a good chunk of time.”

Only two men have coached the Warriors for more than five seasons. Al Waibel was Fallbrook’s coach from 1959 to 1965 and Tom Pack coached the Warriors from 1978 to 1994. Waibel’s 1960 team shared the DeAnza League championship, which was the Warriors’ first league title since 1953, and the 1961 Palomar League championship. Fallbrook next won a league championship in 1983 with Pack when the Warriors were in the Palomar League, and the 1986 Warriors finished second in the Palomar League standings but defeated Vista in the CIF 3A championship game.

Everhart is originally from Bryan, Ohio, which is in the northwest part of the state and about two hours from Troy. Troy is approximately 20 minutes north of Dayton.

“I’m looking for someone with roots in North County,” Walker said.

“I want someone who’s going to focus on the student-athlete first, that’s critical,” Walker said. “I want someone who’s going to get in the community.”

Fisher and Williams are helping Walker in the search for a new Fallbrook football coach. “We’re going to get a really solid group, there’s no doubt about that,” Walker said.

FUHSD policy requires that the position first be offered to FUHSD staff. “We’ll offer it in-house,” Walker said.

“It’s not even posted yet,” Walker said. “Once it’s posted it will be offered in-house for a week and we’ll go from there.”

The school district is not required to hire any FUHSD employee who applies. “There must be a highly-qualified in-house candidate. We don’t have to have somebody in-house. They have to be qualified,” Walker said.

If no school district staff member is hired, the position is opened up to others. It will include a full-time teaching position, which could be as a physical education teacher or for other subjects.

“Our superintendent was kind enough to understand my situation,” Everhart said. “My principal understands the situation.”

Without spring practice or the opportunity to recruit players, the 2019 Warriors had a record of 0-10. Coronavirus restrictions delayed the start of the 2020-21 season and teams played league games only with no playoffs; Fallbrook had a record of 2-3.

The 2021-22 Warriors had a 4-6 regular-season record and were 2-3 in Valley League play for fourth place in the standings. Fallbrook was seeded fourth in the CIF Division V playoffs, defeated San Ysidro in the quarterfinals for the Warriors’ first playoff win since 2015, and lost a 29-28 semifinal game to top-seeded Palo Verde to finish the season with a 5-7 record.

“I consider it one of my best coaching jobs. I loved every minute of coaching these kids,” Everhart said. “I feel we turned it around a lot. I wish we would have won more.”

Everhart expressed his appreciation to parents and school district staff as well as to the players. “I never had a better group of boosters to work with,” he stated. “I appreciate the support when I needed to redirect to keep our standards high. I had an incredible time watching us grow as a program and am thankful for your acceptance of me as your coach.”