Brian Barnes, who successfully transitioned Tesoro High from a Division IX football program to a competitive team in the Southern Section's marquee division, the Pac-5, has been replaced as the program's head coach with one game remaining.
Tesoro, which reached the section semifinals last season and has spent much of this season in the state's top 20 rankings, will end its season on Friday with a nonleague road game against Chula Vista of the San Diego Section.
Tesoro is 6-3 this season, but 1-3 in the five-team South Coast League following a stunning loss on Friday to San Clemente, 29-21. In that game, San Clemente scored three touchdowns in the final four minutes; two of the scores came in the last minute. It was Tesoro's third loss in a row, preceded by losses to El Toro, 41-31, and Mission Viejo, 55-32.
The loss sealed Tesoro's absence from this year's playoffs; instead, the two at-large berths will likely go to teams from the Serra or Trinity leagues.
Before the loss to San Clemente, Tesoro was ranked No. 15 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.
Barnes could not be reached, but a spokesman for the Capistrano Unified School District said that this was a personnel decision and that personnel decisions are made at the district level, not the school level. The decision was made on Monday.
"John Hall will be the interim coach of the Tesoro football team for the rest of the season," said spokesman Marcus Walton.
Hall is the team's defensive coordinator.
But Walton stopped short of saying that the decision was permanent, and wouldn't acknowledge that Barnes had been fired.
"No one has said that Brian Barnes has been fired as the head coach at Tesoro High School," Walton said.
Walton did not provide much of a timeline for naming a permanent replacement—assuming Barnes isn't coming back.
"There will be an announcement about the head coaching situation in time for preparation for next year," Walton said.
Barnes will remain a teacher in the district.
The move comes as a surprise to many because of the enthusiastic and optimistic coach's success and apparent popularity. He was, according to one school official, everything that his predecessor, Jim O'Connell, was not.
Though O'Connell led Tesoro in its infancy to a couple of small school championships, the program was 1-9 in 2006. Barnes was brought aboard from Estancia, where he had coached one year, for the 2007 season.
The team went 7-4 his first season, and won the South Coast League title, breaking Mission Viejo's seven-year streak as champion.
The following season Tesoro lost its only game in the section finals, 20-17, to Long Beach Poly.
In six seasons with Tesoro, Barnes' teams were a combined 47-23; prior to that, he coached Estancia to a 7-4 record.
This will be only the second time that Tesoro failed to qualify for the playoffs under Barnes' guidance.
Editor's note: Because of a series of coin flips Tesoro won with two other teams tied with it in the standings, Tesoro made the playoffs.
This hit may have been the straw that broke the camels back, but there is a lot more to the story. Barnes, by the way, is/was not nearly as "popular" with players, parents or coaches as the article suggests.
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Yes, there was a flag thrown by the ref on the 50-yard line. He throws the flag it in the direction of the hit where it lands about 6-8yrds from the kicker.
Frankly, trying to get in the kicker's head and make him think about getting hit rather than drilling a kickoff through the end zone isn't a bad idea, and I'm sure there are a lot of coaches out there who privately thought, "Why didn't I think of that?" Of course, if it's going to cost you your job, that's going to be a deterrent, and that's why it's important that the truth comes out, because if this play is the reason Barnes was dismissed (rather than suspended) then it sets a precedent that will interesting ramifications. Once you do it this to the opposing kicker, wouldn't a team respond likewise? That may be as important a reason as any as to why we've never seen this before. Video and poll are here: http://patch.com/A-zk7t
http://www.ocvarsity.com/video/?videoId=1934613670001 This has been a nice debate. I have to side with Andromeda. I'm glad the player wasn't hurt, but this was nothing but real football. This isn't Little League, soccer or Pop Warner. As a parent, I would not want to see my son take a hit like that, and I am sure it would have upset me, but football is a risky, and a violent physical sport. If you can't except that, then don't let your child play the game, especially at a high school level. The video broadcaster said a their was a penalty flag. I'm not sure how the hit could be deemed illegal. Andro has covered it pretty well how the hit WAS legal and with in the rules. No way could it have been unnecessary roughness as Martin spoke of....it was a clean, hard hit. The kicker was eligible to make a tackle, so he is eligible to be blocked. The Kicker needed to be aware of what was going on, instead of watching the path of his ball.
If you change the rules to make it illegal to block the kicker on a kick off, then you would need to make sure the kicker is not eligible to make a tackle. The use of the word "Bounty Hit" is getting over used, just like the word "bully". When I played, the players were always looking to put the hurt on. "Hit, or be hit" was the line we always used. Its FOOTBALL! I think what made this hit look so bad, is the kicker just forgot to protect himself, and got drilled...it looked terrible, but in the end it was a legal hit, and part of the game. Part II I can't see this coach being removed just for this. There has to be more issues in the closet that have not been released yet. JMO
All your points are good, except for the comments about O'Connell. I was heavily involved there. My son was in the first graduating class at Tesoro. I have enough bad O'Connell stories to fill a large book. Don't kid yourself. He was the worst. I am sure that whatever Barnes did to get the axe was enough to deserve it. Those decisions are not made lightly. And I was at the ET game. The hit WAS penalized, was enough for one to sit up and take notice, and was NOT dirty or an attempt to injure the kicker. I see worse hits during most games. Punishable, sure. Worthy of dismissal? No. I guarantee you that when this all comes out there will be "recruitment" issues somewhere involved.
Go El Toro !! Kick Missions ass tomorrow night....
I think you misunderstood my comment. I meant that if Barnes ordered the strategy as a means of taking a very good kicker out of the game, then I would consider it punishable to him, not means for dismissal. IF THAT IS THE CASE.......... BTW, I was at the game, and the play WAS flagged and stepped off, for what that is worth. I'm just saying that the only people that matter, the officials on the field, deemed it a penalty offense. Not saying I agree with that or not. Another interesting comment I heard from a parent in the Tesoro stands was that it was payback for ET having done the same thing to the Tesoro kicker last year. I have no way of verifying that fact, but if it is true I would think we would have already heard it....
The real issue with this coach is that he is a cheater. We have heard from previous players that he had coached, that he encouraged the use of steroids in the locker room. Was this hit evidence of steroid rage? These kids have not yet reached full maturity and the coach is recommending performance enhancing drugs. The coach also apparently tried to cheat and recruit players from Riverside County. Does he think this is the Trinity League or what? Apparently the issue with this cheating coach is not just a hard hit on the kicker.
As for the intent: 1. The ball was kicked into the in zone, there was no return from El Toro, Therefore, who was Parker Wells blocking for? answer: no one. The intent was to give to kicker Roger Howard, a great kicker, out of the game. I have seen too many unnecessary actions on the field. I love this sport, I have played football and coached football for many years. If we are going to keep this wonderful sport for future generations, let's keep honor and dignity on the field.