LJ Coaches' Wall of Honor

By Ed Piper, Jr.

Walk around the new home side concession stand at Edwards Stadium and you can view the new Wall of Honor, with coaches' names etched into the cement wall.

Howard Frank, a founding member of the La Jolla High School Foundation and father of Viking baseball player/head coach Gary Frank, says the idea sprang from a conversation with Principal Dr. Chuck Podhorsky a year ago.

In 1925--three years after the school opened--Clarence Johnson coached both varsity basketball and baseball. Record-holders for number of years coached include Chuck Boyer, the boys cross country coach for 35 years as well as boys track coach for a measly 29 years, and Gene Edwards, who the stadium is named after. Edwards was head football coach for 29 years.

"Over the years," says Frank, "there have been 27 sports played at La Jolla. We went back and looked at who coached each (varsity) team each year. The criteria (for the wall) included having to be a varsity coach for five years."

The etching isn't completely finished, with the contracted worker to return in the next two weeks to clean up some letters that didn't come out clearly. Included with the old-timers are some recognizable names for newbies, such as Gary Frank, Ryan Lindenblatt in wrestling, Kristin Jones in women's soccer, and Greg Volger--now a baseball coach--listed under boys volleyball.

The elder Frank says a dedication ceremony is scheduled Oct. 14, as part of Homecoming. At that time, Athletic Director Paula Conway has said a ribbon-cutting will take place for the newly renovated facilities, including the turf field, press box, trainer's room, weight room, locker rooms, and coaches' offices, in addition to the softball field.

The new tennis resurfacing, with a spectator's pavilion on the south side of the courts behind the new buildings also in the plans, will be dedicated the same evening, according to Frank.

"We found 27 coaches that have coached a varsity sport for 10 or more years, eight with 15 or more years, and seven with 10 years or more," says the statistically-astute Frank.

He pointed out that women's sports weren't sanctioned by CIF until 1974, two years after Title IX decreed that institutions must provide equal opportunities for girls as well as boys. Soccer, then much later lacrosse have been sanctioned as official CIF sports. Sand volleyball would appear to be the next sport to receive official recognition.

In 1937, Frank says, Percy Allen, Bob Allen's father, served as baseball coach while being principal of La Jolla High. There were few walk-on (non-campus teacher) coaches in earlier days. Bob Allen, now an assistant baseball coach, was long-time head baseball coach and athletic director.

The committee of Sandy Erickson, Class of 1962 and founder of the Alumni Association, Rick Eveleth, Class of 1964 and former teacher, basketball coach, and athletic director--the latter two for 27 years--and Frank has not yet been able to document who coached Viking baseball in 1922 and 1923. Of course, if LJHS opened in Fall 1922, there wouldn't have been a school team in 1922, since baseball is a spring sport.