Marijon Ancich is a high school football coach at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, California. Still coaching, he is already the winningest high school football coach in California history[1] with a record of 344-123-4, as of the 2008 high school football season. In his long career, Ancich's teams have won three CIF titles ('68,'72,'81), two California State titles and 19 league championships.
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Born in Yugoslavia, Marijon Ancich and his family fled to the United States during World War II. Initially arriving in New York City, the Ancich family settled in Southern California seven years later. He attended San Pedro High School, graduating in 1955. He then attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was a four-year letterman in football and a two-year letterman in track. In football, he played fullback, linebacker, and defensive back, and was a two-time All-CCAA selection.[2] Ancich and his wife Jacquie have seven children.[3]
In 1959, after college, Ancich started as an assistant coach at St. Paul High School. After being named head coach two years later, he coached at St. Paul from 1961 to 1981 and again from 1993 to 2005, before returning for a third stint in 2009.[4]
From 1984 to 1992, the Tustin High School Tillers under Ancich won four league titles and reached the playoffs seven times. They reached the CIF championship game for two consecutive seasons (1990 and 1991), losing both. The two year combined record was 25-3.
Coach Ancich is known for his unflagging work ethic - beyond coaching for over 45 years, he just retired from his other job. He was a longshoreman for 49 years, a career that was a product of his Slavic heritage and the community of San Pedro. His coaches were told that their free time was between midnight and 6:00 am and that any normal human did not need more than a few hours of sleep each night. His nickname of "Red-Eye" is a testament to this practice coupled with hours of watching film. Players often referred to him as just "The Eye" because he seemed to know what any given player was doing on any given play. He always gives credit to the parents, players, and fellow coaches for his accomplishments - he demanded a great deal of everyone and had the charisma to make everyone believe in what they were trying to do.
In late 2000, Ancich summed up his objective for every player: "To give the young man the opportunity to develop his courage, his loyalty, his poise, the proper weighing of values and the proper control of his emotions in adversity, and in accomplishment."
Many of Ancich's former players and assistants have become coaches or head coaches, from high school football to College to the National Football League, including Kurt Westling of Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, Dick Bruich of Fontana Kaiser High School, Robert Oviedo of Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, Pat Degnan of Quartz Hill High School, Dusan Ancich (son) of Villa Park High School[5], Richard Smith of the NFL Houston Texans, Tim Lins of Moorpark High School, and former Cal State Northridge and Temescal Canyon High School coach Bob Burt. A "Family Tree" printed in the St. Paul program lists 116 coaches who either played or coached for Ancich.