DICK FREEMAN

Steve Virgen

Dick Freeman grew up watching Anaheim High football and dreamed about

the day he would suit up for the team.

When he made his dream come true and played for the Colonists in

the mid-1960s, he reveled in the action. He loved to compete in front

of the big crowds. In addition, the values he learned while playing

for Anaheim laid the foundation for his love of football and,

eventually, led him to become a coach.

“I started going to [Anaheim] home games when I was in

kindergarten,” said Freeman, who has been the head coach for the

Corona del Mar football team since 1995. “When I was that age, I just

thought it was the best to play for Anaheim. My cousin lived right

next to the high school. We would go to the practices sometimes. We

would sit on the fence and talk to the football players.”

While playing at Anaheim, Freeman, Class of 1967, learned a great

deal about football from Coach Clare Van Hoorebeke, who had a strong

attention to detail in regard to game preparation, Freeman said.

“He definitely had an influence on me,” Freeman said. “He was a

great example as far as coaching goes, with his staff and their

innovations. They were the first to use [film] to scout other teams

in my senior year.”

After his prep playing days, Freeman, who was an offensive guard,

earned a scholarship to play at the University of Colorado. He was

there for one year, but wanted more playing time and left.

“I decided 191-pound offensive guards weren’t what they were

looking for,” Freeman said. “I came back home and went to Fullerton

College. I played for Hal Sherbeck.”

Freeman said he thoroughly enjoyed his time at Fullerton. When he

played there, former New York Giants Coach Jim Fassel was the

quarterback. Fassel is now the senior consultant for the Baltimore

Ravens.

Freeman completed his college eligibility at Long Bach State. Yet

after playing two years for the 49ers, Freeman went away from

football and worked as an electrician.

But into a year of working, Freeman met a friend, Bob Franzen, who

asked him to coach Junior All-American football.

“When I started doing that, I found out I liked it,” Freeman said.

“I got excited about it.”

Freeman said coaching rejuvenated his spirit for football. He

thought back to his days at Anaheim and tried to use them as a

blueprint for his coaching.

In 1975, Freeman started coaching high school football as an

assistant at Costa Mesa. Then from 1976 to 1987 he was an assistant

at Corona del Mar. From 1988 to 1994, he worked with Jerry Witte at

Saddleback and then came to CdM.

“When I coach, I think back to my Anaheim days and how

well-prepared we were before the football game,” said Freeman, the

latest Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame honoree. “We went over

everything. [Van Hoorebeck and his staff] were highly structured. We

were the best. If you could beat Anaheim, you could beat the best. It

was great. We had 10,000 people at the game. We started the game at

10 p.m. We wouldn’t get to the game until 7. The place was packed. It

was great.”

When Freeman talked about the highlights during his coaching

career, he started with his 1995 team, because the players stuck

together even through an early-season coaching change. Freeman took

over after the second game after then-coach Mark Schuster was

arrested on molestation charges. Freeman said the 1987 team was the

best he ever coached. The team featured Jeff Thomason, who went on to

become an NFL tight end.

“The players,” Freeman said when asked what he enjoys about

coaching. “I like being around them. With the athletes, even more so

today, there is a sense of reality. You get out what you put in. If

you don’t work hard, you’re not going to get much.”

Freeman and his wife, Kathie, live in Las Flores, near Tesoro

High, Freeman said. They have one son, Brian, 15, who attends the

school, which plays against CdM in the Pacific Coast League.