New high school football coaches primed to make biggest impact in 2025

A look at the most notable high school football coaching changes heading into 2025, including programs big and small from Long Beach Poly to Heritage Christian.

Bellflower High's new football coach, Keith Miller, along side his son Austin (left) and daughter Jazelle, posing for a photo before the 2025 season kicks off. / Keith Miller/X

The word change is an understatement when looking at the high school football head coaching turnover from the 2024 to 2025 season. The more appropriate word might be purge.

Okay, maybe purge is a little dramatic, but after seeing 111 coaching changes in Southern California, according to Chris Fore's EightLaces.org, it's obvious a lot of programs — big and small — decided to go in a different direction.

All 111 changes can be seen HERE. But the following new coaches are expected to make dramatic changes at their new post in 2025.

In case you missed it, here are the CIF Southern Section preseason Top 25 rankings.

KEITH MILLER, BELLFLOWER

Bellflower new football coach Keith Miller (left) with freshman son Austin Miller. / Keith Miller/X

2024 W-L record: 0-10 | Previous coach: James Durk

The gig: The good thing about coming into a program that went winless the year before is there's only one way to go. Miller has already made an impact by bringing attention via social media to his program and players. In one off-season, Miller has already given his players something to be excited about.

There will be improvement at Bellflower under Miller, who will rely on key defensive returners in LB Amir Neal, DL Amir Purry and DT Deshi Medelez. There are new players, too: QB Elacion Saxton, RB Jamel Edmond and OL Travon Bible.

Miller's freshman son Austin Miller will be fun to watch at 6-foot-5.

"We'll plat an uptempo, fastbreak-style offense with difference makers on the perimeter and a physical offensive line," Miller said. "This is a pissed off team looking to get their lick back from an embarrassing 2024 season."

KORY MINOR, BISHOP AMAT

Bishop Amat new coach Kory Minor (left) with UCLA football coach Deshaun Foster. / Kory Minor/X

2024 W-L record: 2-8 | Previous coach: Steve Hagerty

The gig: Great hire. Bringing back Kory Minor, a 1995 graduate, who helped Amat win a CIF title in 1992 is back at his old stomping grounds. But he's got a lot of work to do.

The Lancers are coming off unprecedented back-to-back losing seasons and Minor is being looked to, to right the ship with a stellar coaching staff that includes a mix of NFL and college experience.

Amat's home opener against St. Paul will be a huge indicator of what's to come, especially when it comes to Mission League play.

"We know the Mission League is a gauntlet, but we’re embracing the grind, growing together, and we’re ready to fight every snap. We’re going to play fast, physical, and disciplined football — attacking on every down and making our opponents earn every yard," Minor said.

JUSTIN UTUPO, LONG BEACH POLY

Long Beach Poly coach Justin Utupo will embark on his debut season as head coach this 2025 season. / Justin Utupo/X

2024 W-L record: 6-6 | Previous coach: Stephen Barbee

The gig: Is there a high school football program in America with more tradition? Poly is often cited as having the most NFL alumni of any public high school in the United States. The new man in charge is Justin Utupo.

Utupo's plan is simple in 2025: get the Moore League championship trophy back. Millikan won it last year for the first time since 1973. Good news for Utupo is he's got a lot of talent to work with, including QB Duece Jefferson, WR Kamarie Smith and California's top ATH Juju Johnson.

SANTA MARGARITA, CARSON PALMER

Carson Palmer watches his team at the Battle of the Beach at Edison High. / Aram Tolegian/X

2024 W-L record: 5-7 | Previous coach: Anthony Rouzier

The gig: Palmer signed up for one helluva job. The Eagles might have the most challenging schedule in the country with the exception of a random game at Palmdale Highland. This team takes on Mission Viejo, Corona Centennial, Oaks Christian and Bishop Gorman before entering Trinity League play.

The former USC and NFL standout will be getting a proverbial sip of water out of a fire hydrant when it comes to coaching on Friday nights. The question is: Can Palmer jampack all of his football knowledge into a digestible pill his 16, 17 and 18 year old players can replicate on the field? Against the Southern Section's best??

RICK CLAUSEN, WESTLAKE

New Westlake coach Rick Clausen talks to his team during practice. / Westlake Football/Instagram

2024 W-L record: 0-10 | Previous coach: Carnell Henderson

The gig: Westlake was a powerhouse back in the day when Jim Benkert was in charge. However, the last time the Warriors had a winning season was in 2018 under Tim Kirksey. The team went 0-10 last season and 2-8 the season before.

Rick and Casey Clausen are taking over now, and if you know anything about the Clausens, you know winning follows them everywhere they go. It happened at Calabasas and it happened at Alemany (with administrative support).

BEN MCENROE, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

Ben McEnroe is the new football coach at Northridge Heritage Christian. / HCS Athletics

2024 W-L record: 4-6 | Previous coach: Brent Huff

This hire, though at a small school, is arguably the biggest splash in SoCal when considering what McEnroe has accomplished and where he's coached before deciding to land at a small school like Heritage Christian, which is a basketball school.

McEnroe was most recently at Thousand Oaks High where he was 17-9 in two seasons, but he's most notably known for his time as the head coach at Cal Lutheran University from 2007-2021 where he won five SCIAC Conference titles.

The Warriors aren't going to become world beaters, but they've level up in playoff divisions sooner than later.

OTHERS WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON

• Dameon Porter, Harvard-Westlake
• Rick Hayashida, El Camino Real
• Matthew Hatchette, Huntington Beach
• William Lowe, Carson
• Christian Dearborn, Moorpark
• Alex Pierce, Rancho Cucamonga
• Paul Unga, Etiwanda
• Gary Parks, Verbum Dei
• Aaron Huerta, Alemany
• Troy Hill, St. Bonaventure

2024 CIF SOUTHERN SECTION RECAP

The CIF Southern Section is heralded as one of the most talented high school football state associations in the country, most notably because it's home to juggernaught programs like Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.

As we head into the 2025 season, here's a headline recap of what happened in the CIF Southern Section last fall.

MATER DEI GOES BACK TO BACK

The Monarchs won their second straight CIF-SS Division 1 title and second straight national title in 2024, which was anchored by an ultra-elite defense and first-year coach Raul Lara.

Mater Dei defeated St. John Bosco 31-24 in the section final before going on to thump De La Salle in the CIF State Open Division title game 37-15.

The 2024 campaign might've garnered the Monarchs their best team ever. HERE'S WHY

NEWBURY PARK STUNS D2 IN TITLE RUN

5-star QB Brady Smigiel and wideout Shane Rosenthal (now at UCLA) led the Panthers the CIF Southern Section Division 2 crown in 2024 after question marks about their soft schedule arose before the postseason.

• Newbury Park football forges improbable CIF championship run fueled by naysayers

Newbury Park defeated top tier programs like San Jacinto, San Clemente (on the road) and Yorba Linda en route to its 31-28 victory over Murrieta Valley (in Murrieta) to win the Division 2 title. It was the program's first CIF title since 1993.

JULIUS GILLICK CAN'T PLAY TITLE GAME FOR EDISON

One of the section's top runners, Julius Gillick of Edison, is ejected from the CIF Southern Section Division 3 semifinal against Vista Murrieta for two unsportsmanlike penalties. The first was due to a touchdown celebration. The second was due to 'excessive celebration'.

Despite an appeal, Gillick couldn't play in the CIF final. Despite his absence, Edison beat Simi Valley 35-21.

High School On SI reporter Tarek Fattal broke down the controversary (video below).

THE 'COMPETITIVE EQUITY' CHAMPION

St. Pius coach Devah Thomas was not shy about his team's accomplishments in 2024 ... afterall the season did result in a CIF title.

Under the new competitive equity rules that decide playoff placement, St. Pius' strength of schedule rating earned the program a berth to the Division 8 playoffs despite being 1-9 (an 0-8 start).

• How St. Pius won a CIF championship after one-win season

The Warriors ended up making a run to win the Division 8 crown over Serrano 38-19.

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