Elijah Asante comes out of retirement to become football coach at Hamilton High

Elijah Asante said Monday he had accepted the position as football coach at Hamilton. He had been retired from coaching.

Asante gained attention as head coach at L.A. Jordan and Carson while wearing a suit and tie on the sideline. His Carson teams defeated Mater Dei in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, he became head coach at St. Paul, becoming the only black head coach at a private school in the Trinity, Serra or Mission leagues. He succeeded the legendary Marijon Ancich.

He lasted only six games at St. Paul before being fired, went to coach with Harry Welch at Santa Margarita, then became head coach at Compton for one year. He left to coach in Alabama before retiring.

Asante is known for coining the phrase, “I absolutely don’t recruit. I attract.”

Asante said a Hamilton administrator contacted him about their opening. With practice beginning next week, Asante has only four weeks to prepare for the season ahead, but he has always loved challenges and agreed to coach again “to give these kids some hope.”