While Millikan High administrators continue searching for the school’s next boys lacrosse coach, parents are joining the effort to help ensure the reigning Moore League co-champions take the field next spring.
Millikan boys lacrosse booster club president Todd Dyer said parents have begun using personal contacts, social media and Southern California’s lacrosse community to identify qualified coaching candidates, supplementing the school’s ongoing hiring process.
“We’re going to try to do our best as a parent group to cast a wide net,” Dyer said. “The more eyeballs, the better. We don’t know who this is going to get in front of.”
Millikan athletic director Kacey Mendoza said the school has already received applicants and has begun moving the hiring process forward.
“We have had a few people apply and we are in the process of scheduling interviews,” Mendoza said.
Unlike coaching openings in more established sports, lacrosse doesn’t have the same pipeline to pull from in the area.
“With basketball we had over 40 apply in the first few days,” Mendoza said. “A lot harder for lacrosse positions.”
The vacancy comes during an offseason in which Moore League lacrosse has faced coaching instability. Lakewood discontinued both its boys and girls lacrosse programs after being unable to hire coaches, but Dyer said Millikan’s situation is different because parents and administrators are working together to keep the program moving forward.
“I’m not really thinking Lakewood is any sort of barometer,” Dyer said.
According to Mendoza, the school doesn’t have a deadline to hire the next coach but need to fill the position before the school year so they know if they need to schedule a class for it or not.
Even with the urgency, Mendoza said the school is committed to finding the right person rather than rushing the process.
“Yeah hopefully, but we will see,” Mendoza said. “Need to make sure it’s the right fit and not hire, just to hire.”
While the search continues, Millikan’s players have organized their own offseason workouts, with upperclassmen leading strength and conditioning sessions and weekly team practices.
“I’m encouraging the kids not to think about stuff like that,” Dyer said. “Just focus and control what they can control.”
Parents have also expanded their outreach across club programs and the local lacrosse community in hopes of identifying additional candidates.
“We’re going to step up and we’re going to do it ourselves if that’s what it takes,” Dyer said.
The562 reached out to Long Beach Unified School District for comment regarding the lacrosse coaching situation across multiple schools but have not heard back.
