Heritage Christian hires Ben McEnroe as new football coach to show 'new level of commitment' to program

Ben McEnroe is a seasoned football coach that's been successful at the college and high school level, most recently at Cal Lutheran University and Thousand Oaks.

Head coach Ben McEnroe directs his team during a Thousand Oaks High football practice. / ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

The San Fernando Valley, a large suburb located in Northern Los Angeles County, had some high school football coaching changes this offseason.

The most notable hires were at Alemany and Harvard-Westlake, naming Aaron Huerta and Dameon Porter the new coaches, respectively.

Just when most thought the dust had settled, the biggest splash hire in the Valley came from Northridge Heritage Christian Monday morning when the school announced the hire of Ben McEnroe as its new football coach.

“The hiring of 'Coach Mac' is certainly a statement from our administration, and myself, that there’s a new level of commitment to football at Heritage Christian," said Mike Johnson, the boys athletic director.

McEnroe was lured away from Thousand Oaks High where he was 17-9 in two seasons, including two semifinal appearances. He was the head coach at Cal Lutheran University from 2007-21 and on five SCIAC Conference championships, including four in a row (2009-12).

Ben McEnroe when he was the head coach at Cal Lutheran. / JUAN CARLO/THE STAR, Ventura County Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Heritage Christian is known for its boys basketball. In fact, the program just earned a berth to the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs this postseason, which is the section's most competitive playoff division.

Hiring McEnroe sends a message to the community that Heritage Christian, clearly, wants to take football seriously.

"Ben was the guy we wanted from day one in November, and we held the line knowing that hiring him instantly changes our culture and makes HCS an attractive opportunity in the San Fernando Valley for student-athletes who want to be a part of a program that develops both Christian character and great football players," Johnson added.

The football program finished the 2024 campaign on a five-game losing streak, going 0-5 in the Ironwood League, which includes Aquinas, Ontario Christian, Valley Christian, Capistrano Valley Christian and rival Village Christian.

The last time Heritage Christian football won a playoff game was in 2021, a victory over Bassett in Division 13.

---

Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school sports news.

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app:

Download iPhone App | Download Android App