CIF coaching carousel: Notable 2025-26 high school football changes, hires

JSerra and St. Francis already made changes while Long Beach Poly and Oaks Christian are still searching for head football coaches.

Dean Herrington is no longer the football coach at St. Francis after he said the school did not renew his contract this fall. / Rene Morales

It's that time of year — and no — I'm not talking about Christmas.

The fall semester is over and high school football programs in Southern California are making coaching changes. Some schools have already dismissed and replaced their coach. Other programs have made a dismissal but are still searching for their next head coach. More changes will come ...

Ideally, most programs would like to have a new head coach hired by the time the spring semester begins in early January. This allows the new coach to hit the ground running. However, there will be more twists and turns this spring semester.

This page is dedicated to keeping an eye on the football coaching carousel that spans from the end of the 2025 season into the spring and off-season of the 2026 high school football season. With the help of EightLaces.org, tracking every coaching vacancy in SoCal can be easier.

There have already been 55 total changes this offseason. As of December 26, 12 jobs have been filled and 43 are still open in the CIF Southern, San Diego and City Sections. The numbers will grow. There were 111 total changes last offseason.

Below are the most notable, high-profile changes, openings and hirings.

JSERRA

Former coach: Victor Santa Cruz
New hire: Hardy Nickerson (from Bishop O'Dowd)
The skinny: Santa Cruz was 14-18 in his three-year stretch, including a 3-12 record in the Trinity League. Nickerson comes from Bishop O'Dowd where he led the school to a CIF State title on Dec. 12.

OAKS CHRISTIAN

Former coach: Charlie Collins
New hire: Still open
The skinny: Collins went 59-34 in his eight seasons with the Lions, including a program worst 4-6 regular-season record this past fall.

ST. FRANCIS

Former coach: Dean Herrington
New hire: Lance Mitchell (from Muir)
The skinny: Herrington led the Golden Knights to CIF finals in 2021 and 2022 in just five seasons at the helm and was 35-26 at St. Francis. Mitchell led Muir to a CIF final and two semifinal appearances in four years as the head coach at Muir. Went 36-16 in his time as the Mustangs' head coach.

BISHOP MONGTOMERY

Former coach: Ed Hodgkiss
New hire: Still open
The skinny: Bishop Montgomery was at the epicenter of high school football's biggest story in 2025, and maybe the last decade, when the 'Money Man' admitted to paying families/players upwards of $50,000 (plus expenses) to play football. The program shut down its varsity season, and 19 players were deemed ineligible due to CIF Bylaw 202 (falsifying documentation).

LONG BEACH POLY

Former coach: Justin Utupo
New hire: Still open
The skinny: Utupo was the head coach for just one year. Odd to see one of the nation's blue blood high school football programs in a free fall.

ALEMANY

Former coach: Aaron Huerta
New hire: Dennis Keyes
The skinny: Huerta was 1-9 in his debut season. Keyes, a former UCLA standout football player, takes over.

ST. PAUL

Former coach: Mike Moschetti
New hire: Still open
The skinny: Moschetti steps down after three seasons, saying, "...just didn't enough games." He was 15-19 in his three-year stint, including 2024's win over Bishop Amat at home. Moschetti was the coach at La Mirada before he took the St. Paul job, where he won seven league titles in nine seasons. He won two CIF-SS titles and a CIF State crown at La Mirada.

• SEE ALL CHANGES HERE AT EIGHTLACES

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