Column: Outgoing Loyola High principal Frank Kozakowski offers some words of wisdom

Serving as the principal for 15 years at the same all-boys, private high school with big expectations and superb standards is no easy task. Frank Kozakowski pulled it off, arriving at L.A. Loyola High in 1978 as a math teacher and football coach before taking over the top job after years as an assistant principal.

He’ll be leaving his position at the end of the school year while staying on in a different capacity. Former Loyola basketball coach Jamal Adams will succeed him. Loyola football coach Drew Casani already offered Kozakowski an assistant position. Legendary coach Steve Grady calls him “a great coach.”

There are many lessons to be learned from the 68-year-old Kozakowski, who helped steer Loyola through the crazy times of the pandemic and has been responsible for approving every student admitted during his tenure. Loyola has won the Commissioner’s Cup as the top Southern Section athletic program 10 times. He has refused to play the transfer game embraced by football powers to stay on top.

Here’s an exit interview from which future administrators can learn, especially about how being a coach prepared him for the top job.

The greatest joy in this job is knowledge that I might have helped save some lives of kids and that I had a positive impact on some kids. I have a treasure chest of memories.

Admission is tough at a competitive place like Loyola. We have to reject some kids but the hardest thing is disciplinary action during the course of the school year. Teenagers make bad choices. They misbehave and it’s not always intentional but there has to be consequences for their behavior.

The absolute greatest preparation for being a principal in high school is to have been a football coach because you learn to make decisions with the best information you have. You have to call the next play in 25 seconds. You learn how to evaluate talent and make judgments about students as well as teachers. You know you have to be organized. The most successful coaches put in time on the weekends and do the game preparation.

As principal, you’re not watching film. The work habits of a football coach carried over. I would often be in this office on Sunday mornings. I’d get a couple hours’ work done, get things organized, and that goes back to my roots as a football coach. You learn you’re not going to survive if you listen to the criticism in the stands. Everybody has their opinion and feels they need to express that. To be a successful football coach, basketball coach or principal, you hear that stuff but it can’t keep you up at night. You have to be convinced you’re doing the right thing, moving forward with the right projects.

What every principal dealt with was criminal. We had to disinfect water polo balls that were in chlorine. The L.A. County Department of Health guidance changed with some frequency because they were trying to figure out what to do. They would have teleconferences and sometimes the information wasn’t consistent with what they posted on their website. We had parents who didn’t understand why we had to have in place the restrictions we had because they had a cousin in Orange County and could do anything they wanted. It was a huge mess. We made it through. I would never want to do it again. One of the things I learned, I had webinars with my parents. I tried to keep my parent community informed what we were doing and why. They didn’t always agree but understood. Zoom stays with us today and will be part of our lives going forward.

Jamal, I love you. Keep a smile on your face and lean on me if I can help in any way. I know he’ll do a good job. He’s a Loyola guy. He knows the culture of the school. He has a year or two being principal [at Pasadena La Salle] under his belt. It’s a job with enormous rewards but also has some pains.