Harry Edward Welch, Jr

Early years

Harry Welch was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 4, 1945 to Harry Edward Welch Sr. and Marie Snow. He moved to Tarzana, California at age 9 and attended Crespi Carmelite High School where he played quarterback before graduating in 1963. He attended Santa Clara University for one year before returning to the San Fernando Valley, where he received his bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge in 1968. He later earned a master's degree.

Coach Welch began his coaching career as an assistant at Crespi High in 1969. One of his notable players was Randy Cross, an offensive lineman who would go on to play at the University of California, Los Angeles and for the San Francisco 49ers. He later moved on to become an assistant coach at Los Angeles Valley College, where he served from 1974–75, before returning to the high school ranks in 1976 at Canyon High.

Canyon High School years

In 1982, at age 37, Welch was named the Head Coach of the Canyon Cowboys and served in that capacity for twelve seasons from 1982 through 1993, winning three consecutive CIF-SS Championships, posting a 46-game winning streak along the way (1983–85), and playing for a fourth title in 1988. He led Canyon to the 1983 Northwestern Conference title, defeating Bishop Montgomery High School 40-24 at College of the Canyons. The following year his team defeated Santa Maria High School 33-6 for the Northwestern Conference title at College of the Canyons. In 1985, the Cowboys made it three in a row with a 9-7 win over Antelope Valley High School at Canyon High School. In 1998, Canyon lost the Division II title to Antelope Valley 22-28. In 1993, after twelve successful seasons, coach Welch retired.

In 2001 he returned as the Head Coach at Canyon and led the Cowboys to two consecutive CIF-SS Division III titles in 2005 and 2006. In the 2005 Division II title game the Cowboys defeated William S. Hart High School 21-13 at the Home Depot Center. His 2006 team defeated Moorpark High School 24-22 in the Northern Division Championship game and rolled past De La Salle High School 27-13 on December 16, 2006 in the State Division I Championship for the first of his three state titles. By this time he had accumulated a career record of 179-46-2 in 18 seasons. He then retired again from his position at Canyon, and the football facility at Canyon High School was renamed Harry Welch Stadium in 2007.

In addition to being an accomplished football coach, Harry Welch was a distinguished English Literature teacher at Canyon and he became popular with students for his engaging Bible as Literature course.

St. Margaret’s years

In 2007, Coach Welch moved to Coto de Caza, California and shortly thereafter accepted the Head Coaching position at (St. Margaret's Episcopal School) in San Juan Capistrano, California, coaching there for three seasons until 2009. Coach Welch led the program to an overall (42-1) record, including a 30-game winning streak, three CIF-SS Championships and one California State Bowl Championship over this three season period, (2006-2009).

In 2007, the Tartans finished (14-0) winning the CIF-SS Northeast Division title defeating [Brentwood School), in Los Angeles, California 37-6 at Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California. The Tartans scored a then Orange County, California record 674 points.

In 2008, the Tartans moved up a division level and finished (14-0) winning the CIF-SS East Valley Division against [Twentynine Palms High School] at St. Margaret’s. The following week the Tartans achieved a historic 59-7 win in the inaugural (2008 California State Small School Championship) game on December 19, 2008 against [Hamilton Union High School] at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California to finish the season (15-0). A highlight of the 2008 season was the 742 points the team scored – the Orange County record and fourth best total in CIF-Southern Section history. Coach Welch also achieved his (200th career win) during this season against Western Christian of Covina, California winning 58-7 …

http://www.ocvarsity.com/articles/tartans-12562-mothander-longest.html

In 2009, the Tartans finished (13-1) repeating as the CIF-SS East Valley Division Champions against (Ontario Christian High School) in Ontario, California … The road to the CIF Championship game became "CIF Playoff lore" as the Tartans traveled over (300+ miles, "one-way") to play a semifinal game against (Bishop Union High School) in Bishop, California …. Weather conditions were considered to be the "coldest recorded game" in CIF-SS history with (high winds and wind chill in single digits), but the Tartans prevailed winning 47-6 …. The following week in the CIF Championship game against (Ontario Christian High School) in Ontario, California the elements were equally as challenging as monsoon type conditions of (high winds/heavy rains) played havoc throughout the contest with the Tartans winning 12-6 …. A highlight of the 2009 season was also achieving their fourth consecutive CIF-Southern Section title (2006-2009) which was also an Orange County record and placing the Tartans in "rare air" as one of only three programs in CIF-SS history to accomplish such a feat, (Temple City, 1969-1972) and (St. Bonaventure, 1999-2002) were the other two …….

http://www.ocvarsity.com/sports/tartans-18796-knights-margaret.html

http://www.ocvarsity.com/sports/margaret-18610-hot-behind.html

In 2010, with his career record now at 221-47-2, Coach Welch resigned from his position at St. Margaret’s and accepted the Head Coach position at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. That same year, he was named the Crespi Man Award winner and selected to be entered into Crespi's Hall of Fame.

Santa Margarita years

Coach Welch was named the third Head Football Coach at Santa Margarita on January 21, 2010. 2013 will mark his fourth season at Santa Margarita, his 25th season as a Head Coach, 42nd year of high school coaching and 44th overall in coaching (including two years at Valley College). He will enter the 2013 campaign with a 31-8 mark at the school. Coach Welch currently has a 252-55-2 (.819) lifetime mark. His .821 winning percentage is second best in California history among coaches with 250 career wins. He is also the active leader among California high school coaches in winning percentage for those with at least 250 wins.

After posting 3-7 seasons in 2008 and 2009, Santa Margarita hired Coach Welch to return the program to greatness. His 2010 team finished 9-3 and posted the single best increase in year-over-year wins (six) in the school’s history. The 2011 team finished 13-2 and ranked as high as no. 10 in the nation. The season culminated with a memorable 42-37 win over Bellarmine College Preparatory in the CIF Division I State Championship game at the Home Depot Center.

The 2012 team began the season ranked as high as #1 in the nation by several national publications and bolted out to a 6-0 record before finishing 9-3. The Trabuco Hills High School game in week three of the 2012 season was Coach Welch’s 300th game overall, and the 55-0 victory gave him 246 games in his first 300 contests.

Coach Welch's most memorable wins at Santa Margarita were a 27-13 victory over San Clemente High School in the 2011 CIF-SS Pac-5 Championship game and the dramatic 42-37 win over Bellarmine in the CIF Division I State Championship Game on December 16, 2011. His team finished the season 13-2 and ranked as high as no. 10 in the nation. His 2012 team began the 2012 season ranked as high as no. 1 in the country and held that spot for the first six weeks of the season.

He has totaled 31 wins after three seasons and 39 games with Santa Margarita.

Awards and accomplishments

Coach Welch was named the 2009 and 2010 Orange County Coach of the Year by the Orange County Register and 2010 Coach of the Year by the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, the California Coaches Association, an organization that includes high school, college, and NFL coaches, named him Coach of the Year. At the end of the 2009 season, the Los Angeles Daily News selected him as their Football Coach of the Decade. He was named the 2011 ABC 7 Southern California NFL High School Coach of the Year.

Coach Welch is the only coach in California history to win three State Championships with three different schools: Canyon High School in 2005, St. Margaret’s in 2008 and Santa Margarita in 2011.

Coach Welch has six CIF-SS Championships in the past seven years. As part of this impressive run he has won 84 of his last 92 games (.913) dating back to week 4 of the 2006 season. He has also won 27 of his last 29 playoff games dating back to 2005, with his last three post-season losses since then being a 21-27 overtime loss to St. Bonaventure High School in 2012, a 28-31 setback to Mission Viejo High School in 2010 and before that a 28-29 loss to Upland High School in 2004.

With 252 career wins, Welch is currently ranked 10th among active California coaches in career wins. With a win over Lutheran High School of Orange County in week 8 of the 2012 season, Coach Welch became the second fastest in state history to reach 250 wins (in both fewest number of games: 305 and fewest seasons: 23½).

Coach Welch’s record with Orange County teams is 73-8 (.901) in just six seasons. His career winning percentage of .819 also ranks as the fourth highest for coaches with at least 200 career victories.

Personal life

Coach Welch is married to Cindee Welch and he has two daughters, Lisa St. John (married to Scott) and Julie Adam (married to Jack), and five grandchildren, Nicholas, Nathan, Kara, Evan and Riley. When not coaching football, Coach Welch enjoys reading, travelling, fine dining at many of our local restaurants and walking his St. Bernard, Ruby. He lives close to the high school in Coto de Caza.