UTEP's Woodruff takes over at Oaks Christian
After Bill Redell retired in March, Oaks Christian received 30 applications from those vying to be the school's next head football coach.
Some came from elite high school coaches.
There was one from a former NFL player and current NFL assistant.
And then there was one from Jeff Woodruff.
His resume includes over 30 years of Division I college football coaching experience, including the last eight at UTEP where he was the assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
He was the head coach at Eastern Michigan for four years. He's coached in 14 bowl games, including five Rose Bowls. In 1991, he won a national championship as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington.
Where normally, high school head coaching vacancies are filled by other high school coaches, Oaks Christian is one of the rare high schools that can attract not only elite high school coaches but college coaches such as Woodruff, and even NFL assistants.
When all was said and done, it was Woodruff who emerged, being named Oaks Christian's new head football coach.
Woodruff's a big time hire for the small Christian School in Westlake Village.
The hiring wasn't expected to be huge at all. Even before the retirement of Redell, longtime assistant Mark Bates was thought by many to be the successor. However, Woodruff came to Westlake Village from El Paso with a divine presence.
"(He told us) 'I have a good home. I have a good life but for some reason, I am being called to apply,'" Oaks Christian Athletic Director Jan Hethcock recalls the interview. "Through the entire process, it just became very evident that he was going to be the next head football coach."
Woodruff leaves behind 30 years of coaching at the collegiate level for what Hethcock hopes will be 10-12 years at Oaks continuing the tradition established by his predecessor halfway across the country.
"It's just a great opportunity. They've got one of the top high school programs in the country," Woodruff said. "College kids aren't much different than high school kids, they're a little bigger. So I don't think there's going to be a big learning curve or any problems adjusting."
The staff is expected to remain intact. Casey Clausen is expected to remain the offensive coordinator with input from Woodruff, who says he'll spend more of his time on the offensive side of the ball.
Clay Matthews will still be there, and even Bates who's in his 12th year at the school. He has been promoted to associate head coach.
The product on the field will look similar to what was seen in recent years. The new head coach is aware that he has a quarterback in junior-to-be Brandon Dawkins that "can really throw it." He doesn't think much change is needed.
"We're not going to make a lot of changes initially at all," Woodruff said. "The smartest thing for me is to see what we're doing and how we do it --just tweak things."
Oaks Christian may not need much tweaking but following a coach with the pedigree of Redell is no small task, even for a coach that has three decades of experience at the collegiate level. Redell led the Lions to seven CIF Southern Section Championships and one CIF State Bowl crown. The bar has been set.
"I like the fact that the bar has been set high," Woodruff said. "You get what you demand and we're going to continue to do all of the little things and expect to get great effort. Winning is the end result of doing all the little things right. Even though we're going to be stepping up some in the competition and who we play, we're going to expect the same type of results."
Woodruff also brings a characteristic, similar to Redell, in which he can keep the lines open to college coaches throughout the country.
The school dubbed Hollywood High because of athletes on its football team that came from parents of stars in sports and entertainment has struck again.
This time, similar Orange Lutheran earlier this year, Oaks Christian's head coaching vacancy is filled by someone from the college ranks.
Woodruff will get right to business. The Lions begin spring practice May 14th, in preparation for a 2012 season in which the Marmonte League will be moving up to the PAC-5.