Liberty moves have top program reeling

A week of big coaching news intensified Wednesday, when LibertyBrentwood football coach Ryan Partridge told his team he had accepted the job as linebackers coach at NCAA Division II power Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich.

The 36yearold finished off a historic threeyear run at the 118yearold school by winning its first North Coast Section (2017) and state titles (2018) and compiling a record of 345. This from a program that had won just one NCS playoff game before he arrived.

When tipped off last week that Partridge was leaving, one of the state’s toprated sophomore quarterbacks, Jaden Rashada, a 6foot3 dualthreat standout, announced he was transferring from Liberty to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the nation’s No. 1 ranked preseason team for 2020.

In the midst of about an hour and two announcements, Liberty, which had emerged as the new big Metro power, was left reeling.

Partridge hopes Liberty hires recently promoted defensive coordinator Matt Hoefs. “The kids love him,” Partridge said. “He’ll do great.”

Partridge said it has always been his dream to coach in college, and Ferris State has gone 8716 since head coach Tony Annese took over in 2012. Partridge met Annese at a March coach’s conference in Reno and immediately hit it off.

If not for the coronavirus, the hiring process might have gone much quicker. Making the announcement so late in the spring was not ideal, Partridge said. But the Amador ValleyPleasanton graduate said it was unavoidable.

He said his Zoom teleconference announcement to more than 70 in the Liberty program was tough but upbeat. “I think a lot of them were shocked, but they were also happy and proud of me,” Partridge said. “I’ve been so proud of all that we accomplished in three years.

“Obviously the state championship was a great memory. The ring and the trophy were great, but just seeing the looks on those kids’ faces, I’ll never forget. … All three teams carry a huge part of my heart. They built memories that will last forever.”

New St. Ignatius basketball coach: University assistant Jason Greenfield is the new boys basketball coach at St. Ignatius, replacing Rob Marcaletti, who stepped down after six seasons to spend more time with his young family.

According to Prep2Prep writer Ethan Kassel, Greenfield worked at Trinity College, a Division III school in Connecticut, in the 1990s before moving to San Francisco. He assisted Randy Bessolo at University three seasons before accepting the director of analytics job at USF in 201920.

He is the second coach from the Bay Counties League that St. Ignatius has hired in the past two months after Urban’s Maya Fork took over the girls basketball program in April.

Marcaletta went 8359 in six seasons and won a Central Coast Section Division 3 crown in 201920. The Wildcats return most of their key players, including one of the state’s top freshmen, AllMetro point guard KingJhsanni Wilhite.

“Jason’s leadership, vision and his analytical approach set him apart from the other candidates,” athletic director John Mulkerrins told Kassel.

New regime: Berkeley hired two basketball head coaches — Shawn Hipol (girls) and Mike Hudson (boys). Hipol led a big resurgence in the St. JosephNotre DameAlameda program that was 15049 after he took over in 201415, and won the NCS Open Division last season and finished 248.

Hipol, however, resigned in January when his ethics came into question over a series of lopsided scores in the BCL. His assistant, Brian Sato, took over and St. Joseph won 18 of its last 22 games. During St. Joseph’s NCS title celebration at St. Mary’s College, a Fathead poster with Hipol’s image was included in team pictures. His former team and coaching staff fully supported him.

Hipol takes over a program that has won 12 Northern California titles, matching Mitty for the most. Berkeley has fallen off considerably since Cheryl Draper stepped down after the 201415 season, going a combined 7074 over the past five seasons.

According to a Berkeley news release, Hudson coached a combined 10 seasons at Piedmont and KennedyRichmond and amassed a 7746 record while taking over teams with losing records. “I am overly excited about the opportunity to coach in Berkeley, which has always been a city of resilience and achievement,” Hudson said in the release. “I am already working every day to ensure I put my best foot forward as coach of this program.”

TriValley connection: Longtime boys basketball assistant Steve Ohlmeyer takes over at his alma mater, CaliforniaSan Ramon. “I can’t express how humbled, excited and pumped I am to have this opportunity,” Ohlmeyer said. … Former San Ramon ValleyDanville players and coaches Matt Clawson and Ryan Lloyd were recently named varsity boys basketball head coaches at Las Lomas-Walnut Creek and firstyear West ParkRoseville, respectively.