The Bay Area high school coaching profession is losing a great one.
The only question is, if Rich Cotruvo were a DVR, is his coaching career a stop button
or a pause button? In a story that appeared in the online version of Napa Valley Register
on Wednesday evening, Cotruvo told the Terra Linda High powers that be that he is
retiring from his position as Trojans’ head football coach. Cotruvo, however, will
remain at Terra Linda, where he has coached the last three seasons, as a health and
physical education teacher. The Trojans have gone 19-15 with two CIF North Coast
Section playoff wins in Cotruvo’s three seasons.
or a pause button? In a story that appeared in the online version of Napa Valley Register
on Wednesday evening, Cotruvo told the Terra Linda High powers that be that he is
retiring from his position as Trojans’ head football coach. Cotruvo, however, will
remain at Terra Linda, where he has coached the last three seasons, as a health and
physical education teacher. The Trojans have gone 19-15 with two CIF North Coast
Section playoff wins in Cotruvo’s three seasons.
The 64-year old Cotruvo is most famous for his time at Justin-Siena (Napa), where he
coached for 19 seasons. In that span, the Braves went 144-74 with six NCS titles. To
appreciate that success, you have to understand where Justin football was before that
time. From 1987-1996, the Braves were a hot mess, going through four coaching
changes and a 27-67. I feel entitled to describe the program of that time as such
because I played there as a student-athlete for three of those years (1987-1989). Before
his Justin years, Cotruvo coached at Acalanes (Lafayette) and Monte Vista (Danville).
coached for 19 seasons. In that span, the Braves went 144-74 with six NCS titles. To
appreciate that success, you have to understand where Justin football was before that
time. From 1987-1996, the Braves were a hot mess, going through four coaching
changes and a 27-67. I feel entitled to describe the program of that time as such
because I played there as a student-athlete for three of those years (1987-1989). Before
his Justin years, Cotruvo coached at Acalanes (Lafayette) and Monte Vista (Danville).
In the spring of 2016, Cotruvo got Jim Harbaugh-ed in that the administration never
said he got fired. Cotruvo never said he resigned. The public answer is that both sides
mutually parted ways. Sounds like a dismissal to me but I digress.
said he got fired. Cotruvo never said he resigned. The public answer is that both sides
mutually parted ways. Sounds like a dismissal to me but I digress.
I’m not going to reveal every Cotruvo quote verbatim and you can only read so much
into newspaper quotes but here are a few that catch my attention:
“I love coaching. I love being with the kids and building something. But I’m tired.
I need to recharge my batteries. I just think the stars are aligned where I need to take a
break and maybe have some time to play some golf and enjoy my family a little bit more
and not be tied down in the fall.”
“This fall is going to be a new horizon for me. I may love it. I may hate it. I don’t know. I
just know that I want to finish my teaching career without having to coach football and
having that extra time.”
“I’m just not ready to say I’m retiring from coaching. I’m taking a break from coaching.
Once I’m retired from teaching, I want to reassess. Hopefully if things go right, if I finish
my teaching career and retired, if the right situation comes up, I’d love to go back and
coach.”
into newspaper quotes but here are a few that catch my attention:
“I love coaching. I love being with the kids and building something. But I’m tired.
I need to recharge my batteries. I just think the stars are aligned where I need to take a
break and maybe have some time to play some golf and enjoy my family a little bit more
and not be tied down in the fall.”
“This fall is going to be a new horizon for me. I may love it. I may hate it. I don’t know. I
just know that I want to finish my teaching career without having to coach football and
having that extra time.”
“I’m just not ready to say I’m retiring from coaching. I’m taking a break from coaching.
Once I’m retired from teaching, I want to reassess. Hopefully if things go right, if I finish
my teaching career and retired, if the right situation comes up, I’d love to go back and
coach.”
There’s a few things I unpack from these quotes. For openers, coaching a high school
football program is not an August to November endeavor. It is a 12-month a year journey
from strength & conditioning to summer 7-on-7 to grade checks. In addition, with the
divorce rate being greater odds than a coin flip, football coaches are like surrogate
fathers to some kids.
football program is not an August to November endeavor. It is a 12-month a year journey
from strength & conditioning to summer 7-on-7 to grade checks. In addition, with the
divorce rate being greater odds than a coin flip, football coaches are like surrogate
fathers to some kids.
For Cotruvo, coaching has been a way of life but my goodness for the last 21 years, he
has commuted from his home in Walnut Creek, CA, to either Napa or Marin County.
Throw in a full day of teaching and coaching, I can easily fathom where someone needs
a break away from coaching. In a sense, I’m surprised this did not happen sooner. Oh,
I didn’t even address dealing with administration and parents that do not share the
same vision as you.
has commuted from his home in Walnut Creek, CA, to either Napa or Marin County.
Throw in a full day of teaching and coaching, I can easily fathom where someone needs
a break away from coaching. In a sense, I’m surprised this did not happen sooner. Oh,
I didn’t even address dealing with administration and parents that do not share the
same vision as you.
The other layer of this has me playing conspiracy theorist. Cotruvo did not rule out a
return to coaching. If Brett Favre can come out of retirement, anyone can. There is a
school on the corner of Jefferson Street and Lincoln Avenue named Napa High that
needs a football coach. However, knowing him like I do, he would want the likes of
Steve Vargus, Steve Shifflett and Ian MacMillan to join him. Those guys, however, have
a great situation at St. Helena High under head coach Brandon Farrell. With the talent
the Saints have returning, I don’t see those guys vacating their current positions. OK,
that is wild speculation. That is my hot take for the week.
return to coaching. If Brett Favre can come out of retirement, anyone can. There is a
school on the corner of Jefferson Street and Lincoln Avenue named Napa High that
needs a football coach. However, knowing him like I do, he would want the likes of
Steve Vargus, Steve Shifflett and Ian MacMillan to join him. Those guys, however, have
a great situation at St. Helena High under head coach Brandon Farrell. With the talent
the Saints have returning, I don’t see those guys vacating their current positions. OK,
that is wild speculation. That is my hot take for the week.
Cotruvo is smart, however, to leave the door ajar to a return to coaching. In most any
walk of life, when we enter the next phase, we only know what we leave behind.
Whereas we don’t know what the next phase will be until we enter it. Most every retired
coach that I know echo the same sentiment, they miss the camaraderie among players
and assistant coaches but they don’t miss the lifestyle.
walk of life, when we enter the next phase, we only know what we leave behind.
Whereas we don’t know what the next phase will be until we enter it. Most every retired
coach that I know echo the same sentiment, they miss the camaraderie among players
and assistant coaches but they don’t miss the lifestyle.
I had the chance to cover some of Cotruvo’s games, mostly between 1998-2000, but
followed his teams from afar from other beats in my years as a sports reporter. While
you can make the argument that Cotruvo was blessed with great assistant coaches, I
can counter that with any head coach worth his salt understands the value of having
quality assistants. I can’t speak for his tenures at Acalanes, Monte Vista and Terra
Linda but what he did to change the culture at Justin speaks volumes.
followed his teams from afar from other beats in my years as a sports reporter. While
you can make the argument that Cotruvo was blessed with great assistant coaches, I
can counter that with any head coach worth his salt understands the value of having
quality assistants. I can’t speak for his tenures at Acalanes, Monte Vista and Terra
Linda but what he did to change the culture at Justin speaks volumes.
Whether it’s returning to the sideline to draw up 16-veer or planning his strategy on
the 9th hole, Cotruvo will be a winner just like he has been on the scoreboard and
making an impact on youngsters’ lives.
the 9th hole, Cotruvo will be a winner just like he has been on the scoreboard and
making an impact on youngsters’ lives.
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