CORONA, CA – Upon showing up as an assistant coach at Centennial-Corona High School, Matt Logan was in position to make the Huskies a better team.
This week, Logan was name USA Today.com’s Football Coach of the Year – all despite the fact that Centennial lost its final game last weekend in California’s Open Division championship.
The team that beat the Huskies was no stranger to success. It was De La Salle-Concord.
Logan, meanwhile, was 30 years old when he took over as coach.
“He’s the best in this area,” said Ron Gueringer, who is San Gorgonio-San Bernardino's coach. “Matt is the hardest working coach I’ve ever seen. Anything he’s done, he’s deserved.”
It was Gueringer who was Centennial’s coach in 1996 and 1997, bringing Logan aboard as an assistant coach. When Gueringer left after the 1997 season, Logan was promoted from defensive coordinator to coach.
After a couple of rocky seasons, the Huskies have long since been at the top under Logan’s guidance.
Centennial’s triumph in the Southern Section Pac-5 championship over previously ranked No. 1 St. John Bosco-Bellflower lifted the Huskies to No. 1 rankings in two national polls – MaxPrep.com and HSFB100.
The 28-21 loss to De La Salle knocked the Huskies off that perch.
Logan has led Centennial to 10 Southern Section championships. After 19 seasons at Centennial, his overall record is 211-46, with six trips to California’s state championship.
Ironically, Centennial’s final national ranking in the USAToday.com poll was its lowest of the season – No. 7 – after top five finishes in every other national poll.
Area newspapers, namely the Riverside Press-Enterprise, are running out of superlatives for Logan, 49, who has won Coach of the Year honors in virtually every possible category at the high school level.
His reputation for playing the best athlete at each position, regardless of class or status the previous season, has long been a hallmark.
