Playing with a full deck is a great start

ROGER CARLSON

After a seemingly endless stream of negatives, it feels good to write

of Costa Mesa High’s football program, which has been held together

with the help of one of the most loyal of Mustangs, 72-year-old Tom

Baldwin. When the subject of Baldwin surfaces, negatives seem to

vanish.

It would be easy to label him as the most loyal of all Mustangs,

except in the same huddle with him as an assistant is Al Dies.

“I’m really happy about getting Al Dies back,” said Baldwin of the

longtime Mustang assistant, who had been idle since before spring.

It wasn’t a shock to see Baldwin unveiled recently as the

Mustangs’ coach for this season.

When the varsity football team was told it had no coach in early

August it was Baldwin, Mesa’s head coach for eight years (1984-91)

who was holding the keys to the weight room and it was Baldwin

offering to hold things together until another coach could be found.

Dave Perkins, about to enter his third year as Mesa’s coach, had

been fired, and further explanation seems hardly necessary. It was an

ill-advised decision that reeks with controversy.

The time element was such that it was virtually impossible to

pursue a replacement in a normal time frame and there was only one

logical choice. Thankfully, there was a warrior available.

Anyone who knew Tom Baldwin, with 47 years of coaching behind him,

knew he would not leave a sinking ship.

Tom Baldwin coached one of the great high school football teams of

the ‘60s, the 1967 Santa Ana High Saints, featuring the legendary

Isaac Curtis. The Saints whipped powerful Anaheim, 28-0, en route to

the Sunset League championship and were ranked No. 1 in Southern

California before falling in the final at Anaheim Stadium to that

same Clare Van Hoorebeke-led Colony, 27-6.

Tom Baldwin, who took the Mustangs to the CIF playoffs in 1988 and

‘90, only to be cut loose at age 60. I can tell you by personal

experience, there’s nothing quite like it to be in the presence of an

experienced, successful, veteran coach, who is in tears.

His response?

He became Corona del Mar’s offensive coordinator for two years

under Dave Holland, then two years as an assistant at Chaffey College

when the Tigers were known as “Miami West” when the Hurricanes sent

28 members of their squad to Ontario for JC duty. When assisting at

Chaffey he taught at Mesa from 6:15 a.m. to noon before traveling to

Ontario for the 2 p.m. practices.

He returned to Costa Mesa and spent five years as an assistant in

the Jerry Howell era after failing in his bid to become the head

coach again. He didn’t even make the final cut.

With a rival, and contentious aquatics coach at Mesa serving as

the chairman of the selection committee for the football post,

Baldwin was snubbed.

He took his wares to Santa Ana Valley, where he was the defensive

coordinator for one of his former players at Santa Ana, Eddie

Steward.

When Santa Ana Valley defeated Perkins’ 2001 Estancia team in a

memorable 27-24 decision, Baldwin was on Valley’s side of the field.

He spent a year with Calvary Chapel as the defensive coordinator,

then last year he was with Perkins and handled the outside

linebackers and wide receivers.

When he learned of the dismissal of Perkins and the likelihood

another coach might bring his own staff, he wasn’t worried, he knew

he’d be coaching somewhere.

Once known for his hyper-stance with sprints to midfield with his

squad trailing as they took the field to begin the first, and third

quarters, he admits, “I’m going to have to pace myself.”

It all begins Thursday night when Mesa and Brea Olinda tangle in a

nonleague game at Newport Harbor High in the earliest start for any

Newport-Mesa District team ever.

This was the “scrimmage” week until this season when the CIF

Southern Section changed options.

“I’ve never coached with this tough of an academic load,” said

Baldwin, whose daily regimen includes a micro economics advanced

placement class, followed by three economics classes that carries him

up to 12:15 p.m.

When it all started Baldwin said he wouldn’t apply for the post,

but left the door open by saying it would be hard to refuse if he

were asked.

“At first when they asked me, I said, ‘no,’ but then I thought if

the parents and kids wanted it, I’d do it for a year and see what

happens.”

While most are surely thankful and appreciative of Baldwin’s

decision, there is one mild dissent.

“Our 50th [wedding] anniversary is in December,” said Baldwin,

“and Carol said she’s going to Europe by herself in the summer if I

can’t make it.”

And here’s a note for your calendar: Nov. 12, at Orange Coast

College. It’s Costa Mesa and Estancia in the Golden West League

finale. Estancia is coached by Craig Fertig, who is celebrating his

40th year since leading USC to its dramatic 20-17 victory over Notre

Dame in the Coliseum. Baldwin? He probably didn’t see it, perhaps too

busy breaking down films of the Falcons’ game the previous Friday

night when he was an assistant to Dick Hill at Santa Ana Valley High.

Baldwin and Fertig became good friends over the years and were

friendly rivals when Baldwin was an assistant coach with the Southern

California Sun and Fertig was the head coach of the Portland Storm in

the World Football League.

“I was talking with Craig the other night and he told me, ‘It

feels really good to be the youngest coach in town,’ ” said Baldwin.

Fertig was the oldest head football coach in Orange County high

school circles until Baldwin started his second run as the Mustangs’

coach.

Actually, the 62-year-old Fertig, wasn’t the oldest overall. The

venerable Al Dies, Baldwin’s big asset as his offensive line coach,

is also 72.

The Mustangs, who were considered to be title contenders when

spring practice was being conducted, will be entering with a full

deck, thanks to Baldwin and his assistants, Dies, defensive

coordinator D.J. Jett, Raymond Romua with the running backs and the

junior varsity, former Costa Mesa star quarterback Bill Lux with the

quarterbacks, Nick Romo with the defensive line and his grandson and

former Mesa standout, Ronnie Lievanos, with the receivers and

linebackers.

“I’m starting to get excited,” Baldwin said more than two weeks

ago.

Excited? When 7 o’clock arrives Thursday night chances are he’ll

be back with that familiar style ... airborne!

Hey, see you next Sunday!

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].