Steve Hagerty, who resigned in November as head coach for Bishop Amat football after 17 years, is leaving the school to embark on a new challenge and opportunity.

Hagerty has accepted an offer to become the athletic director at West Covina, beginning in the fall.

Hagerty will replace Randy Bell, who was the school’s athletic director the past two years but plans to retire. Bell previously was the athletic director at Monrovia.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the most recent 17 years (24 overall) I spent at Bishop Amat,” Hagerty said. “It was more than just football; it was family, faith and a place that shaped me as much as I hope I helped shape others.

“Stepping into the role of Athletic Director at West Covina High School is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to supporting coaches, helping young people become champions of character, and serving a new community with the same heart and commitment.”

Hagerty resigned as football coach at Bishop Amat, but remained at the school as co-athletic director with Joe Hoggatt. Legendary alum Kory Minor was hired to succeed Hagerty as football coach.

Hagerty said he looks forward to helping shape the athletic teams at West Covina.

“My vision for high school athletics is to assist building programs that not only compete with pride, but develop young men and women of character, grit and purpose,” Hagerty said. “Athletics should be an extension of the classroom — teaching life lessons, fostering community, and providing every student with the opportunity to build a better version of themselves. I’m honored to lead that charge.”

Hagerty is a Bishop Amat alum who coached there as an assistant during parts of the 1980s and ’90s before being hired as head coach in 2009. At that time the program was struggling.

He had a winning record in 14 of his 17 seasons and won five league championships. He had back-to-back undefeated seasons in the Mission League in 2018 and ’19. His overall record was 118-61-1.

Hagerty took the Lancers to the CIF Southern Section semifinals three times. He led the Lancers to the Division 1 semifinals in 2014, where they lost a heartbreaker to Corona Centennial. In 2022, the Lancers reached the Division 2 semifinals and lost to Sierra Canyon.

Hagerty led Paraclete to three consecutive CIF Southern Section titles from 1997-99.

Prior to returning to Amat in 2009, Hagerty was the offensive coordinator at Citrus Hill, which won back-to-back CIF-SS titles in 2007 and ’08.