Clovis West making a coaching change as Petrissans steps down
With the Clovis West High football team in line to potentially tie for the worst season in school history, the Golden Eagles are making a coaching change.
George Petrissans informed Clovis West administration Tuesday that he will step down as football coach following the season finale, according to the Clovis Unified School District.
Clovis West, which plays at Clovis at 7 p.m. Friday, is 1-8 overall and 1-3 in Tri- River Athletic Conference play.
The Eagles began the season losing seven straight. And in its most recent game, Clovis West was crushed 75-7 by No. 1 Central.
Should the Eagles lose their finale, this Clovis West team will tie the 1979 Eagles as the worst in school history with a 1-9 record, according to records kept by Central Section historian Bob Barnett.
“This was a difficult decision for me and it comes with great sadness,” Petrissans said in a news release. “I feel currently that I need to focus on my health and invest in my family.”
Prior to this season, the Eagles had posted winning records during each of Petrissans’ first four years. The coach enters Friday’s finale 31-26 overall at Clovis West.
Petrissans also coached some of the top talent in the Central Section during his time, including 2015 Butkus award winner Caleb Kelly (now at Oklahoma) and 2017 Under Armour All American quarterback Adrian Martinez (now at Nebraska).
But Petrissans and the Eagles never won a section title despite such talent, unable to advance past the semifinals. Clovis West’s last section title came in 2010.
Replacing talented players, meanwhile, proved to be quite difficult this season.
And the latest blow came when quarterback Dante Chachere suffered an injury earlier this month.
The coaching staff and school administrators met with players after Thursday’s practice.
Petrissans will remain at the school in his full-time teaching position, the district stated.
Clovis West principal Richard Sarkisian said the school would like to hire a new coach before the start of spring practice.
This story was originally published October 23, 2018 at 8:10 PM.