Longtime West Covina coach Maggiore resigns

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

He led the Bulldogs program to three CIF-SS championships

West Covina head coach Mike Maggiore speaks to his football team after its CIF-SS Division 10 championship game in 2023. Maggiore led teams to three section championships and the above title game, in which the Bulldogs lost to Torrance. Photo by Raul Romero Jr

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By Fred Robledo

frobledo@scng.com

Longtime West Covina football head coach Mike Maggiore, who won three CIF Southern Section titles during his tenure, announced his resignation this week.

Maggiore had two stints as head coach at the school that totaled 26 years. He won his three titles over 21 seasons before he resigned in 2016, but remained a teacher and athletic director there.

Maggiore returned as head coach in 2020 and coached five more seasons. He took the Bulldogs to the Division 10 championship game in 2023, where they came up short against Torrance. He also led them to the San Antonio League title in 2022.

During Maggiore’s first coaching stint, he guided West Covina to six league championships, along with CIF titles in 2004, 2010 and 2011. The 2011 team won its championship against La Serna with one of the best offensive performances ever in a CIF-SS final, winning 84-21.

Maggiore had considered resigning after each of the past two seasons, and wrestled with the decision again over the recent holidays before making his decision. The Bulldogs were 3-7 this past season and missed the playoffs.

“I thought it was a good time,” Maggiore said. “I’ve been doing this for 26 years, it was time. We have a lot of returners and pretty solid guys on staff to take over. I still want to be involved if I can. The last time I stepped down I stayed away. I would like to be involved in some capacity if they will have me. We will see.”

Maggiore’s son Nate Maggiore, who was on the Bulldogs’ 2023 CIF-SS finalist team, will play at Mt. San Antonio College this fall, which was another reason Maggiore felt it was a good time to step down.

“I want to be able to watch him play,” Maggiore said. “That’s pretty important to me. He will be at Mt. SAC another year and then probably transfer. If he goes on to play somewhere else, I would like to have those Fridays free to take off and go watch him.”

Maggiore was humble when asked about his three championships. He’s one of the few coaches in San Gabriel Valley history to have won three or more championships.

“I can promise you I probably lost more games than anyone in the San Gabriel Valley,” Maggiore joked. “I was around so many times when we were 6-4 or 7-5, and what I am most proud of is the relationships I’ve had with the kids. I’m proud that we were consistent over the years and were always able to stay competitive. We only missed the playoffs four times in my 26 seasons, and this past year was one of them. That’s hard to do. The championships were great, but I’m proud of how we did it. We never recruited or talked to other schools.”

Maggiore said he understands why a lot of longtime coaches have resigned in recent years.

“It’s getting harder to do,” Maggiore said. “The time, the hours, and then just people coming after your kids, trying to pull them from your program. That’s just tough to deal with. Recruiting is out of control. It’s just a different time than when I started.

“But it’s going to be nice not waking up at 2 in the morning and worrying about this or that with the football program. But a nice role with the team would be great. I love being around the kids and mentoring is something that I enjoy.”