El Modena Head Girls Lacrosse

El Modena Freshman coach 10th season

Grew up in Orange. Went to Orange HS. One of the Captains of 1989 CIF Finalist team with Tom Meiss as head coach. Played football at S.A. College. Varsity assistant at Orange HS 1 year with Dick Hill 1997. Head Freshmen coach at Orange HS 1998. 2000-2002 Varsity assistant coach at La Quinta with Guy Gardner. 2003 to 2010 Head Varsity football coach at Santiago of Garden Grove. 2014 Varsity assistant at Orange HS. 2015-2017 Varsity assistant at Garden Grove HS. 2018 Varsity assistant at El Modena HS. 2019-current Freshman assistant football coach at El Modena HS. Also many years as a Head Wrestling coach of boys and girls. I am married with 3 children & 1 grandchild.

Coach Mitch graduated from Elmo in 2003. He was a captain of the Varsity team and was All-League Defense for two years. He was honored as the 2nd Team All Orange County Defensive player. He went on to play for Orange Coast College. His honors included 2nd Team All Mission Conference Defensive player and Team Linebacker of the Year. Later he went on to play for Northern Arizona University. While playing in Arizona he was awarded the Kieth O'Neil Linebacker of the Year in 2007. Joe Mitch has coached for Dana Hills (2008-2009), Trabuco Hills (2010- 2013), and then returned to El Modena in 2013 where is currently coaching the defense for the Vanguards. El Modena was CIF Champions 2017. Coach Mitch enjoys time with his wife, Kellie, and sons Theodore and Lincoln. They enjoy relaxing at the river.

Coach Joe Mendoza has been coaching football for 9 years and is currently in his 7th season with El Modena. He has served as the JV head coach for 5 years, achieving an outstanding overall record of 34-10-2 and winning 3 league championships. Alongside his JV responsibilities, Coach Mendoza has also coached varsity receivers at El Modena, producing 8 All-League receivers during his tenure. He holds a master's degree in athletics and coaching administration and is a dedicated PE teacher at El Modena. A native of Ventura, California, Coach Mendoza played college football at Ventura College and Willamette University. Outside of football, he enjoys spending time with his family and traveling with his wife, Kiersten. Coach

Butch Ward is married to his wife, Cindy, and has three children, Jason, Jermy, and Matt. He is the proud PAPA to Maverick, Baker, Denver, Sutton, Gunner, and one more coming soon. Coard Ward has been coaching high school football for 40 years. He has been on 6 CIF Championship Teams and 2 State Champions Teams. He loves high school football and is having a blast.

This will be Coach Patrick Dietz's 14th year coaching at the varsity level for High School football. This will be his 3rd year at El Modena HS. Before coming on staff at El Modena, Coach Dietz coached at Hart High School in the Santa Clarita Valley from 2007-2018 before taking time off to travel the world and focus on his career. After graduating from Cal State Northridge with a degree in History in 2007, Coach Dietz decided to return to the Santa Clarita Valley and pursue teaching and coaching football as a hobby that eventually became a passion. Coach Dietz coached the Varsity DBs/WRs at Hart High from 2007-2011, where they went to a CIF championship in his first season on staff and won the school's 9th CIF title. In 2012, Coach Dietz was promoted to the team’s defensive coordinator role, winning their school a 10th CIF title in the process in 2013, as well as being a state championship finalist. The following year in 2014, they were again CIF runners-up in Division 2. In 2016, Coach Dietz became the team's offensive coordinator, calling the offense for the following three years at Hart, each of those 3 years having an all-CIF quarterback. In his free time, Coach Pat Dietz enjoys traveling, golfing, and playing with his 5-year-old Cavapoo dog, Pismo. He resides in Huntington Beach and works for Boston Scientific in the medical device space. He is also a son to his wonderful Mother and Father Rick and Colleen Dietz, and has a brother who lives in Northern California named Christopher. He is also a passionate sports fan who roots for USC and Chicago sports teams. Coach Dietz would like to thank Coach Matt Mitchell and Joe Mitchell for trusting and allowing him to work with them on a day-to-day basis, and to compliment the Mitchells on the incredible culture they have created here at El Modena HS. Go Vanguards! “Our Best Play.”

WR/DB Coach Santiago High School, Garden Grove With a dynamic background in both coaching and playing, Coach Merchant brings a wealth of experience to El Modena High School as the WR/DB Coach. A standout athlete during his high school career, Merchant earned All-League 1st Team honors as both a Defensive Back (2005) and a Wide Receiver (2006) at Santiago High School. Continuing his athletic journey, Merchant played at Santa Ana College in 2007, where he excelled as a Defensive Back as well as a Punt and Kick Returner. Further honing his skills, he spent time at ASA College in Brooklyn, NY in 2017, starting eight games as a Wide Receiver. Merchant’s diverse experience on the field, combined with a deep understanding of both defensive and offensive strategies, positions him to effectively mentor and develop the next generation of athletes at El Modena High School.