Foothill’s search is on to replace Fenton

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 | 9:17 a.m.

With Foothill football coach Ray Fenton having officially accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater in Cypress, Calif., the school has begun taking applications for one of the prime vacancies in Southern Nevada.

Foothill athletic director J.D. Fraser confirmed Tuesday that Fenton will be moving on to Cypress and the program with a 44-13 record in the last five seasons will play next year with a new face on the sidelines.

"It doesn't hurt us, other than losing the best coach in the city," Fraser said. "It doesn't hurt us in the timing of it. I think he and (former Las Vegas coach Kris) Cinkovich were the best, and when Cinkovich left for UNLV, I thought he was the best, so we're going to have to find the best we can from here. Maybe we'll get the next great one."

It was Fraser who, while still teaching P.E. at a local magnet school with no sports in 1999, hired Fenton out of River Valley High in Mohave Valley, Ariz.

"Our principal was out of town, and I told him we were done interviewing, we didn't need to look any more," Fraser said of his initial meeting with Fenton. "I told people six years ago the guy was going to make me look smart and he sure as heck did.

"He was a first-year coach at one time. Whoever we might hire, whether it be an experienced guy or a new guy, hopefully he'll be every bit as good."

Darwin Rost, head football coach and athletic director at Palo Verde and also head of the local football coaches association, said he doesn't anticipate too much of a rush by current head coaches to get resumes down to Foothill.

"I think when something like this happens, you look inside the building first," Rost said. "Then you try to open it up outside the district."

After meeting with Fenton on Monday, Foothill players took the news in stride, said Arthur Mayville, who was the Falcons' quarterback last season, his senior year.

"Coach Fenton did a good job convincing us the program's not going to change that much, that the coaches will still be around," Mayville said. "If anything, they (the underclass) have something to prove, and they're up to the challenge."