NFHS California Coach of the Year nominations from CIF’s LA City Section
The CIF State Office recently announced the Section nominees for the NFHS California Coach of the Year award for the 2019-20 school year.
“The coaches were selected based on the positive work they have done with the student-athletes in their respective sports programs,” per a CIF press release.
SBLive is taking a closer look at the nominees from each of the state’s 10 Sections. Here are the nominees from the LA City Section:
Ed Azzam - Westchester - Boys Basketball
Azzam was SBLive's 2019-20 LA City Section boys basketball Coach of the Year. He won his 900th career game last season and his 15th LA City Section title as Westchester beat Fairfax 68-43 in the championship game.
Adam Levine - Palisades Charter - Girls Basketball
Levine led Palisades to an LA City Section Open Division title and Division II CIF-State Southern Regional championship in 2020.
Bruce Thomson - San Pedro - Boys Cross Country
With Thomson leading the charge, San Pedro won a Division I LA City Section title in 2019. He's been coaching cross-country since 1999 at the school, winning nine total championships (six on the boys' side).
Roman Gomez - Belmont - Girls Cross Country
Gomez has been a teacher for 30 years. He ran at Belmont as a high-schooler in the 1980's and returned to coach at the school in 2012.
Jim Rose - Birmingham Charter - Football
Birmingham won the LA City Section Open Division championship 27-20 in 2019 under Rose.
Dan Ma - Granada Hills Charter - Girls Golf
Ma led Granada Hills to the 2019 LA City Section Girls Golf title a year ago.
Ian Kogan - El Camino Real Charter - Boys Soccer
ECR won the Division 1 LA City Section championship last season with Kogan leading the Conquistadors.
Chaka Forman - Venice - Girls Soccer
Venice won the Division 4 LA City Section championship in 2020.
Chris Samsell - San Fernando - Girls Tennis
San Fernando won the Division II LA City Section girls tennis title last year.
Tim Bergeron - Eagle Rock - Girls Volleyball
Bergeron led Eagle Rock to their first ever upper-Division title in school history a year ago.
Trent Jackson - Sylmar - Boys Wrestling
Sylmar won the Boys Duals 2020 LA City Section title under Jackson.
Adam Blakis - Palisades Charter - Boys Water Polo
Blakis has won eight Division 1 LA City Section titles in a row with the Dolphins.
Nicholas Garibay - Banning - Girls Wrestling
Garibay also coaches football at Banning. He attended the school as a student.
