After 10 seasons, head football coach Mike Gimenez announced Jan. 7 he’s stepping down from the varsity position.

“My wife had just got a new job so just right now I can coach but being the head coach is a big difference on time commitment,” Gimenez said.

Athletic Director Jason Feuerbach has been taking the steps to find someone to take the spot.

“Publicity-wise the best thing that could have happened for us was that Joe Davidson, the sports editor for the Sacramento Bee, published a huge story on Coach Gimenez. Obviously, it kind of let everyone in California know that he was stepping down. It was a huge thing that helped us out in regards to getting the word out there in not only the state but to the nation,” Feuerbach said.

Feuerbach plans to start the first round of interviews of more than 20 applicants on Feb. 4 and then second round the following week.

“At that point we will check references, background, fingerprints all that. And then we will go ahead and make the announcement,” Feuerbach said.

Feuerbach’s goal for a coach is to find someone who will embrace the Whitney culture, not how they run the team’s plays.

“The offense they want to run, the defense they want to run, that’s not even something that is going to cross my mind in the interview or that I’m even going to ask. My biggest thing who is going to come in and take the football program to the next level and build up on a strong foundation. Who’s going to get the players and coaching staff and the community to believe in them and their program. Our goal isn’t to find someone who is just all about football. It’s more the bigger picture because football is so important to not only the athletic department but to the entire school,” Feuerbach said.

Feuerbach and Gimenez are trying to set everything up to help the new coach as much as possible.

“We’re conducting business as if we already have a head coach in place, just to try to help out this person. Coach Gimenez is taking inventory of everything for them, like how many game belts we have in stock. Literally inventorying the entire program. We’re ordering replacement uniforms for now, we’ve sent the helmets out to be fixed. We’re just really trying to set it up so someone can just walk in and rock n’roll,” Feuerbach said.

Gimenez wants to continue coaching next year, just on a lesser scale. He feels that coaching is an opportunity to change lives.

“I just love coaching. The older you get, the more you realize that there’s so much you can learn everyday at practice everyday your coaching kids and you’re just trying to be a better mentor toward them and a better leader to help them out. I think that something you gain perspective on the more you coach. Your job is more than just being a coach it’s teaching the kids life skills like commitment, friendship leadership and all those other things. I think are important to make them well rounded because most of the kids aren’t going to play college athletics whatever they take way from the sport is whatever they learned in high school,” Gimenez said.

Hunter Rodrigues played quarterback on varsity this year and will continue to play next year. He is looking forward to next season despite the loss of a great coach.

“I think everyone is excited. I am more excited to see how [the new coach will] take us and how the program will be. [Gimenez] is a great coach I’ve learned so much from him; everyone will miss him. I feel good that everyone will make the right decision on who will be the next coach,” Rodrigues said.

Rodrigues thanks Gimenez for his contribution to the program.

Rodrigues said, “I just want to thank Gimenez for everything, from teaching us life lessons and to what he has done to the program in the last 10 years has been great.”

by ARIELLA APPLEBY