Gano ‘steps away’ from football to spend more time with daughter
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Greg Gano, the coach at Los Altos, is stepping down as football coach effective immediately. Gano, 51, will still remain at the school as athletic director, softball coach and teacher. He coaches his daughter, Courtney, a freshman, on the softball team that just clinched its third Miramonte League title yesterday with a 9-0 win over Diamond Ranch.
Gano endured one of the toughest football seasons of his life last year. Los Altos finished 4-6 and winless in league play after starting the season 3-0. Season-ending injuries to team captains OL/DL Josh Contreras (Week 4), TE/DL Ray Rodriguez (Week 5) and RB Bryce-Mahmud McBride (Week 7) became too much to overcome, physically and emotionally.
Gano’s lasting image on the game around Los Altos, however, will be that of a very successful coach.
The West Covina-raised Gano, who became head coach at the school in 1997, won Southern Section titles in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 -- the program’s first titles since 1988. To replace a legend such as Dwayne DeSpain would be a difficult tasks for anybody, but Gano made it look easy as his teams appeared in five consecutive finals.
Los Altos also won six league titles under Gano, who had a record of 109-30-1 at the school.
He will be replaced by former Los Altos quarterback Felipe Aguilar, who was hired Wednesday. Aguilar, 25, played quarterback for Gano from 1998 to 2000. He was a CIF player of the year in 2000 and All-CIF in 1999. He was also Gano’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach last season.
‘He’s a young guy [but] he knows the tradition and he has the respect [of players and coaches] right away. The transition will be easy,’ said Gano.
As to why he is doing it now, Gano said ‘it’s time’ and that he is not stepping down but rather ‘stepping away.’
‘Football is a full-time job and I just don’t have the energy anymore,’ he explained. ‘I’ve been contemplating this for the last three years. I knew that when my daughter [his only child] would come to high school I would need to make a decision. She plays travel ball and is going to be playing in a lot of tournaments this summer and I don’t want to miss those. I don’t want her to come back and say, ‘Where were you?’
‘I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss my staff,’ Gano continued. ‘But It’s time to see what life after football is about.’
USC and Detroit Lions defensive lineman Shaun Cody (Class of 2000) and current UCLA defensive lineman Brigham Harwell (Class of 2004) are two of the most notable athletes to play under Gano at Los Altos.
For more reaction on Gano’s decision, read Fred Robledo’s blog.
-- Jaime Cardenas