2 weeks Ago
Surprisingly let go from one of the nation's most renowned high school football programs, former Mater Dei coach Frank McManus had some more eye-opening news on Wednesday. He's the new coach at Northern California power Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa. McManus, a 16-year assistant at the Southern California powerhouse, replaced legendary coach Bruce Rollinson in 2023 as head coach and led the Monarchs (13-1) not only to a state Open Division title, but a mythical national crown as well.
He was let go for unspecified reasons in April of 2024, but after sitting out for a season, he was hired Wednesday at a medium-sized power that won two state championships under longtime coach Paul Cronin. Cronin left to take another post in 2021 and for the last four seasons went 37-13 under Richard Sanchez, who earlier this month announced his resignation to take a coaching job at University of La Verne. That opened the door for the 48-year-old McManus who said in a release: "It's an honor to join a school with such a proud tradition of excellence.
I’m excited to lead the program, work with its talented student-athletes, continue the legacy of success, and make the Cardinal Newman community proud.” McManus becomes the seventh head coach in Cardinal Newman history, succeeding Sanchez, who led the Cardinals through three successful seasons, including an NCS Open Division appearance last year. Planted in one of the nation's football hotbeds, in the heart of the highly congested Orange County, McManus is now located 400 miles North in the middle of Sonoma County's wine country.
Said Cardinal Newman athletic director Monica Mertle: "“Frank McManus is exactly the coach we need to mentor our student-athletes and take Cardinal Newman football to the next level. His ability to lead championship teams while instilling values of faith, discipline, integrity, and teamwork makes him an ideal fit for our program.".
