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Johnson's Redding to coach El Dorado football
By Bill Paterson - bpaterson@sacbee.com
Published 5:45 am PDT Friday, May 9, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C3
Rick Redding, who was working a successful turnaround of the Hiram Johnson High School football program, has accepted the head-coaching position at El Dorado. Redding replaces Rob Pifferini, who stepped down recently to spend time with his family.
Budget cutbacks in the Sacramento City Unified School District cost Redding his teaching job at Johnson, he said. In addition to coaching football at El Dorado, Redding will teach social science.
"I'm walking into a great situation," said Redding, who signed a contract Wednesday. "They have a beautiful stadium, tremendous booster club support, and the community support is fantastic."
He said a bond measure is on the June 3 ballot that would include installing a new synthetic-turf surface and building a football-only field house at the school.
But Redding, 38, said leaving Johnson will be tough. It's his alma mater – he played football for Don Dillon – and he lives around the corner from the campus.
In his first year as head coach, last fall, the Warriors went 3-7 (3-3 in the Metro Conference), and they were making huge offseason strides. Participation was up, with a good work ethic established on the field and in the classroom.
"These kids have really bought into what we have preached to them the last two years," said Redding, an assistant in 2006. "They crave the discipline that it takes to be successful in athletics. They love the structure sports provides, because many are missing that in their home lives."
Redding's replacement will be Johnson's seventh coach in the past eight years.
"Hopefully the district will make a commitment to the next guy, because this coaching carousel isn't benefiting the kids," Redding said.
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