WARRIOR FOOTBALL STAFF BIOS

Head Coach John Featherstone

When young Coach John Featherstone arrived at El Camino College in 1985 he made only one promise and that was to keep the winning tradition alive. Whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or in the community, Coach Featherstone encourages his players to strive for excellence athletically and to pursue a college education while representing ECC in a first-class professional manner.

The rest is history. Coach Featherstone is the winningest head football coach at El Camino College for the past 22 years with 166-73-1 record (69.2 %). He also has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in the southern section of California, including 36 community colleges from Bakersfield to San Diego.

This past January, Coach Featherstone was voted the National Coach of the Year for the second time, along with accepting his eighth California State Coach of the Year award. Coach Featherstone and his wife were honored in San Antonio, Texas by the major college American Football Coaches Association.

“I always look at any honor as a coaching staff award because we’re all in this together,” said Featherstone.

The fired-up eternal optimist has guided the El Camino College program to national prominence and he’s pumped up for the 2007 season. At age 58, most coaches start thinking about retirement. Not Featherstone.

            “Shoot…I’m just beginning my career. I love teaching and coaching,:” he said “My job never gets old. Each year is a new challenge. It keeps me going and every morning I pinch myself because I have the opportunity to go to work and really enjoy what I do. I’m a blessed and lucky man.”

            His guidance, enthusiasm and “never say die” attitude has propelled the Warrior football program to one National Championship, two State Championships, another National Championship appearance, nine conference titles, and 16 bowl games (including seven straight from 1994-00).

            Elected into the El Camino College Hall of Fame in 2005 and receiving the National All American Football Foundation Head Coach Award in 2004, the highly competitive eight-time Coach of the Year credits all of his outstanding assistants for the continued success.

            “I’ve had a bunch of great veteran coaches and some excellent young part-time assistants who have worked so hard to build one of the top football programs in the country,” Featherstone said. “We take a lot of pride in winning and representing El Camino College in a very professional manner. I also want to thank Coach Don Coryell, my former coach at San Diego State, for having faith in me and giving me my first chance to coach. He is one of the finest men I’ve had the honor of knowing.”

            The Warriors were champions in 2005 and Coach Featherstone was selected Southern California Coach of the Year; he was also honored at the American Football Coaches Association National Convention in Dallas, Texas as a keynote speaker.

            The 2005 season was a great year for the Warriors as they battled through the Mission Conference, undefeated at 10-0. The 2006 season was even more exciting as the Warriors captured another California State championship with a resounding 49-35 victory over City College of San Francisco in Fresno, California.

            So, how does he get these kinds of results from his players? Both on and off the football field, he instills in his players a simple motto: “Dream. Prepare. Endure. Achieve!”

            Long before building his legacy at El Camino College, Featherstone worked his way up the ranks, first recognized for his offensive prowess as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Mira Costa High School.

            Also prepping in track and field, baseball and volleyball, he earned All-CIF honors as a wide receiver for the Mustangs in 1967.

            From there, Featherstone played two years of football at El Camino College, earning all-conference honors and receiving a scholarship offer to play for Coryell at SDSU, making an immediate impact in his junior year, leading the Aztecs to a win in the 1969 Pasadena Bowl before 52,000 fans.  Named Most Valuable Player of the game, it was his pair of touchdowns that led the Aztecs to a record of 11-0 on the season and a 12th place finish in the National AP Poll.

            He received a bachelor’s degree from SDSU in 1970, majoring in journalism with a minor in physical education. In 1973, he received his master’s degree in physical education.  Undaunted by the challenge of translating success on the field to winning from the sidelines, Featherstone took his first coaching position at SDSU in 1971.  As wide receivers coach, one of his first protégés, Isaac Curtis, went on to become a Pro Bowl receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League.   Staying in San Diego, he went on to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers at Grossmont College for four years, helping the Griffins win a state title in 1974. He also coached Player of the Year QB Joe Roth who became an All-American at Cal Berkeley before passing away in 1977 due to cancer.  In 1975, Featherstone replaced former NFL head coach Mike Martz of the St. Louis Rams at San Diego Mesa College, working as the team’s offensive coordinator, from 1979-1980.  During his two years at Mesa, he led the team to back-to-back conference titles. He also tutored future SDSU All-American QB Matt Kofler, now the current San Diego Mesa head coach.  Returning to his collegiate coaching roots as wide receivers coach at San Diego State in 1980, he worked with the legendary Claude Gilbert and then with future NFL coaches Doug Scovil and head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, Brian Billick.  Breaking away from San Diego, Featherstone joined the Cal Berkeley football coaching staff in 1982, returning to Southern California one year later to take the position of offensive coordinator at Santa Ana College for two years before being named head football coach at El Camino College in 1985, replacing NFL assistant Jack Reilly.

            During his tenure, more hundreds of players have earned scholarships to major universities.  Featherstone has also led more than three dozen alumni into the professional ranks including: Keith Ellison, LB, Buffalo Bills; Ryan Riddle, DE, New York Jets; Chris Solomona, DE, Miami Dolphins; DeLawrence Grant, DE, Oakland Raiders; Devin Pitts, WR, Houston Texans; Jose Hanson, a DB in his second year with the Philadelphia Eagles; Antonio Chatman, a wide receiver now with the Cincinnati Bengals; Derrick Deese, an offensive guard with 14 years of NFL experience, formerly with the san Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Kevin Lovell, a PK in his rookie season with the St. Louis Rams, and Steve Sarkisian, currently Assistant Head Coach for Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans.

            Away from football, John Featherstone’s greatest success in life is his four daughters –Terre, Ivy, Keegan, and Arianna – grandson Gabriel and his wife, Hope.

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Eugene Engle - Offensive Coordinator

After many years of coaching, Engle returns to resume responsibilities as offensive coordinator after Fred Petersen retired at the end of the 2003 season. An all-conference tackle for the Warriors in 1975 and 1976, as well as for Stanford in 1977 and 1978, Engle graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Taking his game to the next level, Engle then made it to the National Football League, where he was signed as an undrafted free-agent with the San Francisco 49ers. Following a brief stint in the 49ers training camp, Engle returned to Stanford to coach from 1980 to 1981. While coaching the offensive line, he also earned a master’s degree in education. A graduate of Mira Costa High School, Engle has also served as an offensive coordinator at El Segundo High School.

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Kevin Duncan - Recruiting Coordinator / Receivers Coach

Duncan joined the El Camino College staff after spending the previous three years working with tight ends, receivers and DBs at East L.A. College. Prior to his jump to the JC coaching field, Duncan held the same responsibilities at Gardena and Carson high schools. A 1985 graduate of Gardena High, he played football at L.A. Harbor College in 1986 and 1987, earning all-conference honors as a wide receiver. In 1988, Duncan transferred to Southern Utah, where he finished his playing career. Having his bachelor’s degree in physical education from CSU Dominguez Hills.

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Tim Hyde - Co-Defensive Coordinator - Linebackers

Hyde came to El Camino College to work with defensive ends, returning to the South Bay after coaching at College of the Desert. For the last four years, Hyde worked as the Roadrunners’ defensive recruiting manager. Previously, Hyde had also coached at Redondo Union High School, Mary Star of the Sea High School, L.A. Harbor College, South Torrance High School, and Huntington Park High School. A graduate of Redondo Union High School and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Hyde also holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management.

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Matt Kirk - Co-Defensive Coordinator / Cornerbacks

Kirk came to El Camino College several years ago after stepping away from the sidelines following his departure from East L.A. College in 2002. While at East L.A., he coached defensive backs, also serving as defensive coordinator in 2002, his third and final year with the team. Currently the eighth grade dean of students at Wilmington Middle School, Kirk is also pursuing his master’s degree in education administration from CSU Dominguez Hills. In 1998, Kirk graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Chico State, finishing his playing career after two years at Victor Valley College.

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Mike Sakurai - Running Backs

Sakurai will have a busy season working with the Warriors’ running backs. Beginning his football coaching career at Gardena High School in 1978, he was offensive coordinator from 1986 to 1988, later named head coach in 1989. In 1991, Sakurai led his team to the South-Pacific Conference title. He also served as head baseball coach from 1980 to 1993. In 1993, he was named head football coach and assistant baseball coach at Carson High School. He led the Colts’ football team to the L.A. City 3A championship game in 1998. In 2003, Sakurai was named head coach of the Carson High varsity baseball team.

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David Canales - Tight Ends

Canales comes to El Camino College from Carson High School, where he served as head coach for the JV team, also working with the wide receivers on the varsity squad. As a player, Canales was a team captain and three-year starter at Azusa Pacific University, where he played wide receiver. While attending Carson High, he was an all-league quarterback playing under the tutelage of current Warrior running backs coach Mike Sakurai. Canales received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from APU in 2003. In addition to coaching at ECC, Canales also teaches mathematics at Carson High School.

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Ismael Ordonez - Kickers

Ordonez returns to El Camino College to work with the place kickers, punters and special teams. Having worked with kickers for more than two decades, Ordonez has helped lead a number of kickers to success at both the collegiate and professional levels. His impressive list of former students includes All-Americans John Lee and Bjorn Merten, as well as former Seattle Seahawk Norm Johnson. Among the previous coaching opportunities for Ordonez are stints at Carson High School, UCLA and at the Dallas Cowboys training camp at Thousand Oaks.

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Support Staff

Chris Jefferies

With a longstanding commitment to placing academics before athletics, and succeeding in both, it really is no wonder that El Camino has earned a reputation as the “Stanford of JCs.” Since September 1992, Chris Jeffries has been leading the Warriors’ charge—to class—as the academic adviser for student athletes, helping hundreds of student athletes receive scholarships to universities all across the nation.

Among her success stories is that of Russell Shaw, who last played football at ECC in 1995. The first JC transfer to play football at the University of Michigan since 1972, Shaw not only helped to lead his team to the 1998 Rose Bowl, but he also played a major role in the Wolverines’ National Championship win over Washington State.

Jeffries was also instrumental in sending three Warriors off of the 1998 football squad— DeLawrence Grant, Ladairis Jackson and Tevita Moala—to Oregon State University. After helping to lead the Beavers to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame in 2000, Grant and Jackson jumped to the next level, landing jobs in the National Football League.

In 1998, Jeffries was awarded Title III funds to begin student-athlete tutoring sessions, with the SAIL (Student Athlete Independent Learning) Program, running for a three-year period with the help of the Learning Resource Center. During her tenure, she has also nominated four ECC student athletes for the Student Athlete Achievement Award, given out annually by the Community College Counselors/Advisors Academic Association for Athletes. Of those nominated, three have won the award: Robert Jenkins and Jocelyn Correll in 1995 and Don Jay Hardaway in 1997.

Prior to her work at ECC, Jeffries worked as academic counselor at Santa Ana College. In 1985, she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Colorado State. In 1991, she received her master’s degree in counselor education from CSU San Bernardino.

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