TOP 10 STORIES OF THE YEAR : Welch Ended Era With Retirement

Ending a career marked by unparalleled success but continuous turbulence, Harry Welch resigned as Canyon High football coach on Jan. 3.

“I had thought about it for years, because I spend 12 months of every year planning and working on football,” Welch said. “It has been dominating my life.”

Welch had been dominating the Valley prep circuit, however. In 12 seasons, he posted a 120-31-2 record and led the Cowboys to three consecutive Southern Section championships in the 1980s. But after 27 seasons, Welch retired from coaching, citing health concerns.

Welch transformed a moribund Canyon program into a perennial winner, but never strayed far from controversy. He forged a 46-game winning streak in the mid-1980s, engendered fierce player loyalty, created impossibly high expectations among Canyon followers and made “Cowboy football” an institution in Canyon Country.

But he also engaged in a two-year battle with the Southern Section stemming from charges that Canyon conducted an off-season practice in violation of section rules. Welch faced a one-year suspension from coaching, but after numerous court appearances, he emerged victorious. He not only retained his job and avoided penalties for his program, he won a monetary judgment against the section.

Welch, who continues to teach English at Canyon, has made no moves toward returning, but he said he has a desire to coach Canyon once again.