After interviewing several candidates, La Mirada announced on a social media post Friday that it has hired Lucas Mealy as its new football coach.
He replaces Mike Moschetti, who resigned last month to become the head coach at St. Paul.
La Mirada High School is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Mealy as the new Varsity Head Football Coach. pic.twitter.com/Fo1ypxPksk
— La Mirada HS (@LMHSMatadores) April 21, 2023
It is the first head coaching job for Mealy, who last season was the offensive coordinator at Orange High School, a team that finished 11-3, won the Orange Coast League title and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 6 championship game. It lost to San Jacinto 42-16 in the final.
Mealy also has been an assistant coach at St. John Bosco.
He is known for his offensive principles and commitment to developing players, athletic director Christine Mead expressed through a school press release.
“We are thrilled to have Lucas join our coaching staff,” Mead wrote. “His passion for football, commitment to player development, and coaching experience make him an excellent fit for La Mirada High School.”
Mealy also shared his excitement through the press release.
“La Mirada is such a great community and I am thrilled to be part of this winning program,” he wrote.
Nogales coach Gus Martinez and former Monrovia coach Chris Williams were among the prominent names that applied for La Mirada’s job.
Moschetti had both success and struggles in his two stints with the Matadores.
During Moschetti’s first stint as head coach, they won seven Suburban League titles during a nine-year run and played in three CIF Southern Section championship games, winning two of them. La Mirada also won a state title during that run.
Moschetti resigned following the 2016 season, but he remained the school’s athletic director. La Mirada struggled in 2017 and 2018 without him on the sideline. He returned as the head coach in 2019, but the program didn’t reach the same level of success as it had during his first stint.
La Mirada was 4-6 last season and struggled in the newly formed Gateway League. It finished fourth with a 2-3 record and missed the playoffs.
