Breaking: Pittsburg high school football coach Vic Galli to step down after this season

One of the vital profitable and tell-it-like-it-is highschool head coaches within the San Francisco Bay Space informed his group immediately he can be stepping down after this season. 

Vic Galli, who’s in the midst of his twenty first season at Pittsburg, stated in a letter to the Pittsburg Unified Faculty District, that he’ll be leaving “my dream job” to spend extra time with household. 

He is perhaps ending with a dream season because the Pirates (8-1) are ranked tenth within the state with a shot at successful the college’s first state title, relying if they will win a North Coast Part championship. 

His present group options 5-star quarterback Jaden Rashada (Miami commit) together with college-bound receivers Rashid Williams (Washington), Zachary Card (Oregon State) and Khai Taylor (Nevada). 

The group additionally has a loaded sophomore group, that features the state’s No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2025, security Jadyn Hudson. The group’s main rusher Elijah Bow can also be a sophomore as is promising backup quarterback Marley Alcantara. 

The varsity’s winningest coach with 177 wins since 2002 — with 113 from 1927-1943 Pat Bryant is second — has led the Pirates to  14 Bay Valley Athletic League titles, together with the final three in a row. 

“There’s at all times a brand new class of nice children and promising prospects, and that makes this so arduous,” Galli informed SBLive Sports activities. “However merely, it is time. That is the correct time.”

Galli, 57, stated he needs to spend time together with his mother and father. 

Teaching is in his bloodlines as his uncle George was head coach for a pair many years and led maybe Pittsburg’s best unbeaten group in 1964. 

“Whereas it’s troublesome to stroll away from this job that I really like, I do know the time is true,” he wrote. “I’m very near my mother and father, and they’re each nonetheless in fairly good well being. My dad is my finest buddy. I need to spend high quality time with my household with out the exterior calls for that include teaching.” 

Pittsburg closes the common season Friday at arch-rival Antioch within the annual Huge Little Recreation. The sport will assist determine the Bay Valley Athletic League championships. The Pirates lead the league at 4-0, however Antioch and Liberty are each 3-1. An Antioch win may throw the race right into a three-way tie. 

“I do not understand how our season will end up. I am very optimistic, however I simply know that is the correct time,” he stated. “I have been blessed with a whole lot of nice coaches, together with two of one of the best defensive coordinators (Jim Shipe and Charlie Ramirez). We have had an enormous (teaching) crew. I’ve appreciated all of them each step of the way in which.” 

It doesn’t matter what occurs Friday, the Pirates must be be chosen into the part’s four-team Open Division, which is able to possible function longtime nemesis De La Salle-Harmony. The loser of the NCS Open finals performs towards the finalist of Division I to determine a state berth. 

Pittsburg is the final group to defeat De La Salle-Harmony within the 1991 NCS 3A finals, a span of 31 years and 262 video games, in accordance with the San Jose Mercury Information. The Spartans are 261-0-2 in that span. 

“He is had an unbelievable impression on Pittsburg soccer and its neighborhood,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh stated. “To keep up the extent of success that he has for so long as he has is a testomony to his work.

“He is had an unbelievable impression on the lives of many younger males. I shall be stated to not compete towards him sooner or later years.” 

In accordance with this 2015 story in Prep2Prep when he turned the college’s profession win chief, was born throughout the road from the highschool, grew up and performed sports activities in Pittsburg however graduated from De La Salle and coached there as an assistant for 5 years. 

He performed on legendary coach Bob Ladouceur’s first unbeaten squad in 1982 and later coached there as an assistant for 5 years. 

“My mother actually wished me to go there,” he informed Prep2Prep’s Nate Smith. “It was a terrific expertise, and I realized quite a bit, however my coronary heart at all times remained in Pittsburg.”  

He coached quarterbacks at Pittsburg below legendary coach Herc Pardi, went again as an assistant at De La Salle earlier than lastly returning as head coach for the Pirates in 2002. 

“This was the job that (Vic) at all times wished and ready for,” Jim Shipe informed Smith. “From Day 1, he had a imaginative and prescient and a ardour to make it work right here, and dealing alongside him for these years (2002-11) was only a really nice time collectively.

“He took care of the little issues for our gamers. He made positive they’d meals after practices and earlier than video games, made positive each participant had all their primary tools wants taken care of, irrespective of their monetary scenario. Everybody came upon in a short time how a lot he cared about them as people, and about this program as an entire.”

Galli stated his ardour for youths and training employees hasn’t wavered, however the each day grind has taken a toll. Particularly because the pandemic and earlier than then with warmth and smoke points cancelling video games and wreaking havoc on apply schedules. 

He stated each time Pittsburg’s season ends in 2022, it is going to be emotional. However he pressured Tuesday he will not be too removed from this system. He’ll proceed to be a full-time trainer on campus for no less than 5 years. 

“I’m stepping down; not stepping out,” he wrote. “I nonetheless plan on being round and serving to the subsequent coach in some capability. … This has been a life fulfilling journey for which I shall be ceaselessly grateful for.”