Catching up with: John Liebengood

Barry Faulkner

John Liebengood resigned as Estancia High’s football coach after

the 1997 season, but he could never walk away from the game.

‘It’s still in my blood,” said Liebengood, 50, who takes advantage of

his Friday night freedom to take in whatever prep game appeals to him

each week.

“I’ve enjoyed the game all my life and I still enjoy it,” said

Liebengood, who teaches health and weightlifting at Estancia, is an

assistant coach for the boys golf team, and a much more frequent pain in

the, er, household, to wife Sharlene.

“I do miss coaching football on Friday nights,” he said. “But I don’t

miss any of the headaches. I’m glad to be doing what I’m doing, which is

enjoying life. My wife and (three) kids gave up a lot to support me

during my coaching career, so it was time to be more a part of what they

were doing.”

Liebengood’s daughter, Kelly, who played on CIF Southern Section and

state championship volleyball teams at Newport Harbor High, is a USC

graduate, currently doing graduate work at Vanguard University and

teaching at California Elementary School.

His son, John, who played for him at Estancia, is a junior at Chapman

University, while his youngest daughter, Melissa, is a freshman who is a

junior varsity cheerleader at Newport Harbor.

“I like to go to USC football games with Kelly and Johnny and my wife

and I enjoy watching Newport Harbor football,” Liebengood said. “I tend

to be home a lot, which my wife still isn’t used to, since I was gone all

those years coaching. I’ll be home and she’ll say ‘What are you doing

here? Aren’t you supposed to be working?’ ”

Liebengood said he enjoys teaching and also spends time taking care of

his health.

“I work out a lot more and I don’t have the stress I used to,” he

said. “I also really like coaching golf, because it gives me the

opportunity to play all around Orange County.”

Liebengood went 53-67-3 in 12 seasons at Estancia putting him atop the

school’s career coaching victories list. Included in that run was a 10-0

regular season that included the Sea View League championship in 1989.

He said he has not ruled out coaching again in some capacity, but it

must be an ideal situation.

He now watches football more as a fan than a coach, however.

“I truly enjoy the game,” he said. “I’m not up there critiquing

anything. I know what the coaches are running and I know what’s going on,

but I holler and scream more than I analyze.”

Liebengood also keeps busy by going to movies and making jet ski

excursions to the Colorado River.