Coach Mitchell has had an impressive coaching career with a deep connection to El Modena High School. After graduating from El Modena in 1994, he went on to lead the school's football team to new heights, becoming the first coach since Bob Lester to secure a CIF title. His tenure includes two CIF semi-final appearances and a State playoff game, demonstrating his ability to build and maintain a competitive program. Before returning to El Modena in 2013, he served as the Offensive Coordinator at Servite, where he was part of the team that won the Division 2 State Championship in 2009. His coaching experience also spans five years as the Offensive Coordinator at Orange Coast College, showcasing his broad expertise in football. Outside of coaching, Coach Mitchell is active in his family life, enjoying time coaching his daughters in softball and relaxing at the river. His personal life is intertwined with his professional roots as his wife, Stephanie, is also an El Modena alumna, graduating in 2002.

With nearly 30 years of coaching experience, Dennis brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record to El Modena High School. Starting his career with the offensive line at Orange High School from 2001 to 2006, he helped lead the team to the playoffs 5 out of 6 years and a CIF Finalist position in 2005. His tenure at Villa Park in 2007 as the defensive line coach further showcased his coaching acumen. At Corona del Mar High School (2008-2017), Dennis excelled in coaching the offensive line, defensive line, and running backs, leading the team to the CIF Finals 4 times and securing three CIF Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013, with the 2013 team achieving a perfect 16-0 record and a State Championship. His time with Mater Dei High School (2018-2019) was marked by two CIF Finalist appearances and a State and National Championship in 2018 as the offensive line coach. After serving as Athletic Director at Corona del Mar High School in 2020 and 2021, Dennis returned to coaching in 2022 and 2023, where he helped guide the team to the CIF Finals in 2023. As he embarks on his first year with El Modena High School, his ultimate goal is to continue building championship-caliber teams with a focus on player development and strategic excellence.

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.

Coach Leonard is a dedicated and accomplished coach embarking on his first year in coaching. A 2019 graduate of El Modena High School, he played a pivotal role in leading his team to a CIF championship in 2017. He continued his athletic career at Orange Coast College before transferring to Olivet Nazarene University, where he was a three-year starter and contributed to the team’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) championship in 2021. Leonard was also named 2nd team All-League in 2024. Professionally, Leonard works as an Electrical Engineer designing Fiber Networks. He is married to Grace Picard-Leonard, his high school sweetheart and a biology student at Cal State Fullerton. Balancing his roles in coaching, engineering, and family life, Leonard exemplifies dedication and passion in all his pursuits.

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.”