Newport Harbor High hires 2 new cheer coaches

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT BEACH -- Newport Harbor High School has finally filled the two

cheer coaching vacancies left by the departure of Lisa Callahan earlier

this year.

Hiring the coaches brings some closure to the controversy that

consumed the school late last year, when Callahan accused judges of

inconsistencies during the cheer tryouts.

Callahan, who had been at the school for 13 years, was essentially

fired in January by notice of a memo that prohibited her from interacting

with students on campus because improper procedures were used to hire

her.

The new coaches hired this week will bring needed stability to the

cheerleading program, said Kathy Slawson, assistant principal. Since

Callahan left, some part-time employees have been working with the girls.

Amber Jolly will coach varsity song. Her previous experience includes

coaching the Los Angeles All-Star Cheerleading and Song teams and the

Manhattan Beach Flyers.

Breean Carter, a former cheerleader at the school, will coach junior

varsity. She has taught at the Jimmy Defore Dance Studio in Costa Mesa.

In March, nine varsity and seven junior varsity cheerleaders wrote a

letter to the community expressing their support for Callahan.

Callahan, however, did not ask to be reinstated. On Thursday, she said

she was relieved for the cheerleaders because they now have full-time

coaches.

“I think it’s great for the kids,” Callahan said. “It’ll be a hard

year for them, but I think they’ll do great.”

The former coach has been keeping busy leading the KIIS-FM (102.7)

“Deestroyers” -- a cheerleading squad made up of five Newport Harbor

students who did not make the cheer squads -- and will host three cheer

camps this summer.