Freeman says he was fired by CdM

Dick Freeman said Saturday that he was fired as Corona del Mar High football coach after the administration succumbed to what he believed was pressure from parents of players in the program to make a change.

“It was a done deal when I walked into the meeting Friday [with Principal Fal Asrani and Athletic Director Paul Orris],” Freeman said. “[Asrani] never used the word fired, but I told them I did not want them telling people I resigned, or that I walked out on this thing.”

Orris said Saturday he would characterize the decision to change coaches as one made by the administration, which he described as a body of people including Freeman.

When asked if he was aware of Freeman’s request not to say he resigned, Orris declined to comment.

Attempts to reach Asrani were unsuccessful.

Freeman, who said he would like to coach football at another school, most likely as an assistant or defensive coordinator, acknowledged the pressure he felt from critical parents and boosters during and outside of the last two seasons, had made it difficult to continue leading the CdM program.

“The last two years have been the two most miserable years of my life coaching,” Freeman said. “I never had so little fun, and it wasn’t the players. The players were hard-working, good kids.

“The atmosphere around here with the parents would have made it impossible for me to get anything done [had he continued]. I don’t think I had a problem with the players, and it wasn’t all the parents, because I had some good parents. But there were a few who, apparently were the decision makers, who didn’t like what I was doing.”

Freeman said he never received direct criticism from parents, but it was ever present around the program.

“There was some character assassination going on and I didn’t like that,” Freeman said. “My wife [Kathi] got into some arguments in the stands. This [criticism] was venomous. There were some things I shouldn’t have to put up with.”

Freeman said he is pleased with what he accomplished in his 12-plus seasons as head coach. CdM finished 4-5 in 2007 and failed to make the playoffs.

The Sea Kings were 67-69-2 under Freeman, including eight trips to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“People are saying I had no vision and this, that or the other,” Freeman said. “But I think with the people we had, we [coaches] did a good job with those players. We gave them everything we had as a staff and I’m fine with that. But some parents didn’t like me. They wanted Pete Carroll.”

Freeman said, if asked by the administration, he would offer his opinion about his prospective replacements. But he is also sensitive to the impression that he may have anything to do with the decision on who is hired.

Similarly, Orris said Saturday there were no candidates “laying in the weeds” that prompted the change. Orris also said the process of hiring a new coach, which begins with publicizing the opening within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for 10 days, could begin as soon as Monday.

Freeman addressed criticism that he tried to take on too much this season, designating himself as offensive and defensive coordinator. He said that when the offensive coordinator in 2006, Brent Melbon, was not retained, attempts to find a replacement were unsuccessful.

“I assumed the title of offensive coordinator, but we ran things as a staff, on offense and defense,” said Freeman, who added that first-year walk-on assistant Brandon Akiyama, listed as the team’s quarterbacks coach, called the plays last season with input from the entire staff.

“I tried to explain it to the booster club that we never had a guy come in with the playbook, lay it on the table and say this is how we do stuff,” Freeman said. “We’ve always agreed as a staff, on what we were going to do.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.