Dean Herrington has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the St. Francis Golden Knights football team after a challenging season. Herrington, who had been at the helm for five seasons, guided the team to the CIF-SS finals in both 2021 and 2022. However, following a difficult campaign that ended with a 2-8 record and no playoff appearance, the school opted not to renew his contract.
The decision came as a surprise to Herrington, especially considering the Golden Knights concluded their season with a 28-21 victory over Cathedral, the champions of the Angelus League. Herrington commented, “They decided not to renew my contract. They told me there were morale and culture issues. I don”t agree, I thought we fought hard this year and had some tough injuries. But I”ll be fine. This was a great place to coach.”
During his tenure at St. Francis, Herrington established himself as a prominent figure in Southern California high school football. He took over the program in 2021, leading the team to consecutive CIF-SS championship games in 2021 and 2022, although they fell short against Long Beach Poly and Etiwanda.
Under Herrington”s leadership, the Golden Knights secured three Angelus League titles. Despite a challenging previous season that saw them finish 5-8, they still made it to the CIF-SS Division 6 semifinals. This past season was marred by injuries, with key players such as starting quarterback Shawn Sanders suffering a broken collarbone prior to the opening game and backup quarterback Ashton Gill fracturing his wrist in the first game, significantly impacting the team”s performance.
In his five years at St. Francis, Herrington compiled an overall record of 35-26. His coaching pedigree includes successful stints at Paraclete, where he achieved a record of 40-20, including a CIF-SS and a CIF State championship in his first year, and at Alemany, where he held an 84-44 record over ten seasons, securing seven league championships and a CIF-SS championship game appearance in 2009.
The departure of Herrington marks a significant change for the Golden Knights, who will now look to rebuild and strengthen their program moving forward.
