The Yucca Valley High School Trojans are welcoming three brand new head coaches for the school’s wrestling, baseball, and softball teams. Reporter Andrew Dieleman introduces us to the new coaches…
New Yucca Valley High School wrestling coach Patrick Francis currently teaches personal finance and sports statistics in the school’s math department and has a Bachelor’s of Science in kinesiology, and a Master of Arts in physical education.
New Trojan baseball coach Brad Brimhall has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation, and has a professional baseball background with the Oakland As, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles.
Lastly, new softball coach Ernesto Gamboa Sr. has been an assistant coach at Yucca Valley High School and has won eight district championships with Little League.
Yucca Valley High School Principal Justin Monical said he is excited about the hiring of the coaches and looks forward to seeing the guidance, mentorship, and success that they bring to Yucca Valley High School Trojan athletes.
WRESTLING
Patrick Francis takes over for Larry Giron who resigned last spring. Francis was recently hired as a teacher on campus and is teaching personal finance and sports statistics in the math department. He comes with a strong education in athletics having earned his Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, and a Master of Arts in physical education. Francis has two teaching credentials: mathematics and physical education. He wrestled at Santa Ana College, and started his coaching career in 2001 as an assistant coach at Tustin High School. After just one year he became the head coach there. He coached at Tustin High until 2008 when he was called back into duty with the Marine Reserves.
Francis said, “I am excited to be a part of guiding these great athletes and wrestlers at Yucca Valley High School this season. I have great expectations and hopes for the team. I am excited to share the knowledge that has been passed on to me from the many great coaches that have crossed my path. YVHS Wrestling has a great and strong tradition that I hope to serve well.”
Athletic director Adam Wright said, “Coach Francis brings both the experience and leadership necessary to move our wrestling program forward in a meaningful way. We are thrilled to have him as a part of YVHS athletics.”
BASEBALL
One of the most well-educated head coaches now on the staff is Brad Brimhall. He comes to Yucca Valley High School with a Master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in the same areas. Furthermore, he has a professional baseball background having been drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1989. He played professional baseball with the A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles organizations after a stellar collegiate career where he was selected as an All-Region pitcher.
Brimhall has been a head baseball coach, assistant football coach and physical education teacher in the past, as well as served as the associate athletic director at the New Mexico Military Institute for seven years. Brimhall comes with many coaching certifications such as a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and a Level 2 sport specific conditioning coach through USA Weightlifting. He has consulted groups such as the Roswell Police Department, United States Army ROTC College, Department of Defense, the Morongo Basin San Bernardino County Planning Committee and more on a variety of human performance programs.
“Coach Brimhall’s passion for excellence and strong knowledge of the game will be key assets in our baseball program’s journey to continued success,” said Athletic director Wright.
Brimhall said, “The coaching staff is excited to teach, mentor, and develop the great student athletes at YVHS. Our goal is to facilitate character development and positive citizenship, bolster academic performance, and raise competitive intensity by institutionalizing a strong and consistent work ethic, resilience in the face of challenge, personal accountability and commitment to one’s role as a teammate, and attention to the details of personal and collective excellence. We believe that through this culture of self-discipline, honest assessment, humble strength, and the pursuit of heroic ambitions, personal, academic, and athletic success will be enhanced and life options will expand. We look forward to developing a network of community partnerships for the purpose of reinforcing educational achievement through athletics and sport of baseball.”
Brimhall takes over for Josh Griswold who resigned at the end of last season.
SOFTBALL
Ernesto Gamboa Sr. is one of the most respected softball coaches in the desert region. He has been an assistant coach at Yucca Valley High School for the school’s four-time league champion softball team. He has led his club team to multiple USSSA championships or runner-up finishes, and has won eight district championships with Little League. He has coached multiple sports at Yucca Valley High School, including football and basketball. Gamboa is a licensed vocational nurse, and earned his degree in this field at Copper Mountain College.
“Coach Gamboa provides YVHS softball with capable and caring leadership in a program ready to take on new challenges. His past success in both the high school and club arena make him an ideal choice to lead the program into the future” Wright said.
Gamboa said, “As the new head coach of the Trojan Softball program, I will do my best to keep this a successful program. I am excited and thankful for the opportunity and I am ready to begin the process, WE ARE YV.”
