SLO County high school football coach won’t retire. Why players, parents are thrilled

To the great relief of Bronco football players, coaches, students and fans, long-time Coast Union High School offensive coordinator Charlie Casale has changed his mind about retirement.

After 13 years of gridiron success at Coast Union, Casale gave serious consideration to stepping down. What changed his mind?

“I talked myself out of it” when he saw “the commitment from this year’s players,” he explained in an email.

Casale just helped lead Coast’s eight-man football program to a third straight nine-win season. He has a history of providing the strategic fuel that lights the fire in his players.

Casale, a Realtor in Cambria, loves the intricacies of the game and mentoring.

The venerable coach came to Cambria from the San Joaquin Valley after earning a place in Mt. Whitney High School’s Hall of Fame, where he carved out a glossy 143-69-2 record over 20 years.

Coast Union High School athletic director praises coach

Five years ago, Andrew Crosby was hired as Coast Union’s athletic director and math teacher. He also accepted the position of head football coach, a job that was entirely new to him.

With Casale’s leadership, Crosby learned the ropes.

In their first year together as a coaching team, the Broncos struggled to a 2-7 record.

Casale “taught me the value of staying the course, remaining confident, and he believed in me to develop into a better coach,” Crosby wrote via text.

“In the next three seasons we won nine games, each with back-to-back semifinal playoff appearances,” Crosby said. “These accomplishments would not have been possible without Charlie.

“His presence alone adds so much confidence on the field. You always want to do your best when Coach Casale is watching.”

Added Crosby, “We’re very grateful to have him back.”

Broncos players, parents talk about Charlie Casale

Casale has actually retired a couple times only to be coaxed into returning.

In 2018, after Broncos football had gone into a “downhill spiral” for several years, then-athletic director Ron Garcia told Casale the football program would be dropped if he did not return as offensive coordinator.

“So I came back,” Casale said. “We had a great leader in Riley Kennedy and had a winning season at five wins and four losses.”

Kennedy was named Most Valuable Player during his senior year at Coast Union.

Kennedy said that Casale “absolutely helped shape me as a person. I did not know how to play quarterback before Charlie. I was lost.”

Casale “taught me how to play,” Kennedy continued. “He was a great mentor and now he’s a great friend. He approaches everything with a zeal and enthusiasm that is contagious.

“I wouldn’t have been half the player I was without Charlie as my coach.”

Casale was blessed to have Kate and Mike Magnuson’s two talented, powerful sons — Grant (class of 2013) and Spenser (Class of 2020) — to bolster the Broncos front line with brawn and critical.

“My boys were so lucky to have the coaching team that included Charlie,” Kate Magnuson wrote in a text.

“Charlie is such an amazing coach and mentor,” she added. “Both boys would agree that Charlie instilled a healthy work ethic as well giving them the tools to become incredible players.”

Magnuson, whose daughter Ellie was a standout softball pitcher for the Broncos, said Casale “challenged my sons to never settle for good when you can be great.”

Casale has always insisted his players should “have no regrets and leave it on the field,” Kate Magnuson recalled, remembering the coach’s words that “t’s the ‘hard’ that will make you great.”

In 2018, when Bibiano Mercado went out for Coast Union football, “More than half the team had not played football and didn’t really understand the game – myself included,” he wrote in a text.

But Casale taught the fundamentals to the neophytes.

“Somehow, he made our offense work,” Mercado said, leading the team to victory over arch-rival Valley Christian Academy for the Coast Valley League championship in 2019.

Off the field, “I see Charlie not only as a coach, but as a friend,” Mercado said. “Every now and then, he walks by one of my job sites. We catch up and talk some football.”

What’s next for Coast Union football?

Weightlifting for the 30 Coast Union players out for football this season is on the schedule for Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7 to 8:30 a.m.

Practice on the field is set for Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 8:30 a.m.

Casale noted that two girls are out for football this year: Emily Reed, who played football last year, and Andrea Aguilar, who has played baseball for two years.

The two will “see a lot of playing time as receivers,” the coach said.

Casale expects this year’s team “will be exciting to watch live, so we hope to see a lot of Cambrians in the crowd.”

Coaches have selected Tony DeAlba as the Broncos’ starting quarterback. Manny Garcia and Jona Ramirez will be wide receivers and the running backs are Alex DeAlba and Alex Lopez.

At center is Adair Ponce, and linemen on either side of him are Gio Garcia and Brian Diaz.

The opening home game is set for Sept. 8 against Orcutt Academy at 7 p.m.