01.31.07
Hartnett brings wealth of experience to Highland
Hartnett brings wealth of experience to Highland
Former Bakersfield and Golden Valley coach adds Van Horne, Press to Scots’ football staff
BY BRAD RIDDELL , Californian staff writer
e-mail: briddell@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, Jan 30 2007 11:05 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Jan 30 2007 11:10 PM
The biggest surprise at Highland High on Tuesday wasn’t that Tim Hartnett would spend his 34th season in coaching walking the Scots’ sideline. Rumors of his move from Golden Valley High closer to his home in Northeast Bakersfield had run rampant since November.
Photos:
Photo by Dan Ocampo / The Californian
Highland High introduces former BHS and Golden Valley coach Tim Hartnett as its new varsity football coach during a press conference Tuesday.
Hartnett announcing that he would bring in former East and Liberty head coach Rick Van Horne as well as former Frazier Mountain head coach Paul Press as assistants made the biggest splash.
“I have a solid group coming on board,” Hartnett said at a press conference in Highland’s library. “You need a good staff to help you be successful.”
Press is an English teacher at Chipman Junior High, just outside Highland’s football stadium. He’s familiar with the school, the area and he never lost the desire to coach after spending time at Delano, Frazier Mountain and Stockdale. Press also coached under Van Horne for the Bakersfield Blitz before moving into the team’s front office.
“When I left the Blitz, the fire was burning to get back into coaching,” Press said.
Hartnett said Press will coach either wide receivers of defensive backs. With 20 years coaching in Kern County, Press was drawn to the job by the close network of Bakersfield coaches.
“The coaching community in Bakersfield is very tight knit,” Press said.
Press has never coached with or against Hartnett, but he has plenty of experience with Van Horne, who spent time on the Bakersfield High staff with Hartnett in the 1980s, including a stretch of 39 consecutive wins from 1988-1990.
Now it’s time to work the same magic at Highland High, a school that hasn’t boasted a winning record since 1996 — the Scots finished 8-3.
“I know first-hand they have some great football players,” Hartnett said. “I feel like Highland has the core to have a great football program.”
While the Scots limped to an 0-10 finish in 2006, Hartnett emphasized that he isn’t coming in to rebuild the program. He feels like Highland can start winning next season.
“I have a vision of having some football players on this campus that are true leaders,” Hartnett said. “I have a vision for a tough, hard-nosed defense and an offense that can score at any time from anywhere on the field.”
Hartnett spent 1997-2001 as the head coach at Bakersfield High, winning the Central Section championship in his final season. After working with the BHS junior varsity, he went to Golden Valley to start the Bulldogs’ program in 2003. He built them into one of the best teams in the Southeast Yosemite League.
The significance of bringing in someone with Hartnett’s record is not lost on those at Highland.
“Just the name alone brings such tradition and such pride, and that’s what we need,” Highland athletic director Kym Campbell said.
“We had big-name coaches coming to you and saying you’re nuts if you don’t hire this guy,” said Highland principal Bob Schneider.
“I’m just glad we have a new start,” said Highland junior Justin Owens, who plays center and defensive tackle. “It’s time to get in the weight room and work toward earning the league’s respect.”
Even Highland parents were so excited about the thought of having Hartnett coach the Scots that they took matters into their own hands.
“I had the unique situation,” Hartnett said, “of parents coming to my door and asking if I would entertain the idea.”
In the end it was an easy decision for Highland to offer Hartnett the job, and an easy decision for him to accept. He’ll be closer to his family, he’ll face shorter commutes to work and he’ll have the opportunity to revive a program full of kids from his own neighborhood.
“It comes down to this: I need to represent my ‘hood,” Hartnett said. “I’ve lived for 25 years in this neighborhood. I’m in the last chapter of my career, and I thought, What better way to end it?”
