Assistant in charge for now

Rick Devereux

Things may seem to be unraveling in Costa Mesa High’s athletic

department with the departure of Dave Perkins as athletic director

and head football coach, and the resignations of Doug Deats as

baseball coach, Bob Severn as basketball coach and Glenn Mitchell as

boys and girls track and field coach.

But veteran assistant coach Tom Baldwin is trying to be the glue

that keeps the program, especially football, together.

“I’m running the whole thing right now,” the outside linebacker

and receiver coach said. “I’ve got a lot on my plate.”

Baldwin has been an assistant with the Mustangs for two years,

coming over from Calvary Chapel as its defensive coordinator. Baldwin

has also had stints as the offensive coordinator at Corona del Mar

and defensive coordinator at Santa Ana Valley and Costa Mesa. He was

the head coach for the Mustangs from 1984-’91, compiling a 24-56-2

record and reaching the playoffs in 1990.

Baldwin has also been the head coach at Santa Ana Valley and Santa

Ana, where he began as an assistant in 1958. As the head coach at

Santa Ana in the late 1960s, his teams were among the finest in what

some believe was the golden age of prep football in Orange County.

In addition to his prep coaching experience, he spent two seasons

at Chaffey Community College. He was the secondary coach for the

Southern California Sun of the now-defunct World Football League. He

was also director of personnel and vice president in charge of

football operations for the Anaheim-based Sun.

His concerns now rest with the players going through a tumultuous

time without a head football coach and the season less than five

weeks away.

“Obviously they are very unhappy and obviously I’ve been through

it before,” Baldwin said. “I told them they need to work hard as they

can to stay in good shape and that they need to be ready for whatever

happens.”

The opening will be posted on the district website on Monday, the

soonest the job could be advertised. Baldwin said he had “no doubt”

the position would be filled by the time the Mustangs begin summer

conditioning Aug. 17. Even though he said he would not apply for the

job, if it was offered he said he would accept.

“I’ve been doing this for 40-plus years,” he said. “I will coach

somewhere if it’s not at Costa Mesa.”