Los Amigos Coach Takahashi Resigns

After 28 consecutive years, Roger Takahashi is taking a break from coaching. On Wednesday, Takahashi told his Los Amigos football team that he is stepping down.

In five seasons, Takahashi, 46, led the Lobos to a 40-15-1 record and five playoff appearances. This season, Los Amigos went 7-4 and shared the Garden Grove League title with Pacifica.

“I’m a little tired right now,” Takahashi said. “Los Amigos is a high-maintenance place. I just don’t have the time to keep it up. It’s a gut feeling that it’s time to step back and take a break.”

Takahashi has a 3-year-old daughter. “I had to leave practice early sometimes to pick up my daughter,” he said. “It was an uncomfortable feeling.”

Takahashi was prepared to leave after last season, but Los Amigos Principal George Willson convinced him to stay.

Takahashi began his coaching career at Santiago as an 18-year-old. He was a Santiago assistant for 13 years, a La Quinta assistant for two years before he took over La Quinta’s program from 1986-91. In 1989, he took La Quinta to the Division VI final. He spent two years as an assistant at Los Amigos before becoming head coach in 1994.

“It amazes me that I never left it,” Takahashi said. “I’m not sure how long of a break I’ll take. I’ll be able to tell next fall how much I do miss it. If I feel like there’s life beyond football, I might never come back.”