Claremont High School has announced that teacher and local football coach Shane Hile will be the new head football coach at CHS.

Mr. Hile has been a special education teacher at CHS since 2010 and a football coach since 2002.

Mr. Hile began his coaching career at Damien High School as defensive line coach, and served in that capacity for six years. He was an assistant coach at CHS from 2009-2012 and became the defensive coordinator in 2013. For the past two years he was the defensive line coach at Upland High School, according the a news release issued by Claremont High School Principal Brett O’Connor.

“I have had the opportunity to observe Hile as both a teacher and an assistant football coach over the past several years. I am excited that I could find a coach with his football knowledge and experience as well as being a classroom teacher at CHS,” Mr. O’Connor said.

Mr. Hile told Mr. O’Connor: “I have been fortunate enough to coach with Mike Collins at Claremont, Tim Salter at Upland, Darryl Thomas at Covina and Upland, Scott Morrison at Corona Santiago, and John and Tom Carroll at Damien High. I have learned not only the game of football from these great coaches, but more importantly, how to instill character, honesty, loyalty, respect, humility, compassion, and good sportsmanship into student athletes.”

Late last year CHS terminated former head coach Jose ‘Coco’ Jarin amid some parent complaints and tensions with the football boosters, but no official reason was giving for the firing.

—Steven Felschundneff

steven@claremont-courier.com