Lakewood football coach Mario Morales confirms he’s retiring now from coaching, as well as from teaching at the end of the school year.
“I’ve known for a bit, my wife retired this past June and that had a lot to do with it,” said Morales, whose family has always been a constant presence at his football games. “The numbers are right and it’s time. I want to see my daughter in Tennessee who’s working with the Titans–just be more of a dad. It has nothing to do with me not wanting to coach it’s just time for me to do other things.”
Morales has been a longtime well-respected coach in Long Beach and a teacher in the LBUSD who’s currently the Dean of Students at Lakewood.
“Retiring from teaching is honestly the biggest thing,” he said.
Morales informed the Lakewood team Tuesday of his decision and said that was a tough conversation.
“But I’m happy and healthy and it’s time,” he said.
Morales coached the Lancers the last two seasons as they went 10-11 overall, making the playoffs last season but coming a win short this year. Prior to coaching at Lakewood he was the head coach at St. Anthony for 10 years prior, and for eight years at Wilson prior to that.
At St. Anthony he was the most successful coach the Saints have had in the last half-century, winning a CIF-SS title in 2016 (their first in more than 60 years) and setting a new program record for wins in a season in 2014; he led the Saints to a 60-37 record in 10 years.
Morales’ Wilson teams were always talented and well-coached, and the alums from his tenure there included longtime NFL star Joel Bitonio, who recently retired from football as well. Bitonio always spoke highly of the impact Morales and his staff had on him, and with appreciation for the lifelong support and check-ins with his high school coach. For Morales, Bitonio represented a lot of what he loved about coaching–and not just because he was a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Morales said that while it’s fun for coaches to have kids they coached make the NFL, it’s more gratifying to see young men grow into good husbands, fathers, and members of their community.
“I’m very proud of him, and he knows that,” said Morales after Bitonio retired. “The man and father and husband he’s become–he’s so generous with his time, and financially he’s done a lot of things that people aren’t aware of too. He’s everything that coaches dream of your players developing into.”
