Crenshaw rises again in football but without coach

The official head coach for Crenshaw High’s football crew stays Robert Garrett even though he’s been barred from attending video games on Los Angeles Unified School District property since Aug. 21, when he was positioned on administrative depart.

His longtime assistant and Crenshaw grad, Terrence Whitehead, took over as interim coach the week before the opening recreation. He and assistants educated by Garrett since they have been adolescents have the Cougars at 10-1 and taking part in for the City Section Open Division title against top-seeded Carson at 6 p.m. Saturday at L.A. Southwest College.

“I think he’s doing an outstanding job from where he’s been put,” Garrett said.

Garrett said it’s no shock what Crenshaw has achieved with 14 of 18 gamers returning from a crew last season that misplaced by a single level in the opening spherical of the Division I playoffs to No. 1-seeded Eagle Rock. Add standout linebacker De’Andre Kirkpatrick to that group along with others and you could have Crenshaw in search of its seventh City title.

“My thoughts are you win ballgames from January through July when you meet daily and go over fundamentals, skills and get bigger, stronger and faster. You win it in the weight room,” Garrett said.

Garrett said he has spoken to Whitehead weekly and seen video games that have been streamed. But he has no intention of attending Saturday’s recreation.

“I’ll be sitting in front of a TV watching USC versus UCLA,” he said.

Garrett praised Kirkpatrick, a switch from eight-man energy Animo Robinson who he met last spring and summer season.

“He’s by far a Division I player,” he said of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior. “You can’t coach size. He has good attitude. Doesn’t cuss, doesn’t fuss and doesn’t hang out. It doesn’t come from me or anyone coaching him. All we can do is motivate him and encourage him to do better.”

To say Garrett is fed up with LAUSD is an understatement. There has been no celebration of the best achievement by a football coach in City Section historical past. Crenshaw’s 10 wins give him 300 profession victories since 1988, which places him in Hall of Fame territory.

“I’m going to coach somewhere, somehow,” he said. “I was born to coach. I’m a helluva coach. Nobody gave me that and nobody can take it away.”

Garrett said he has never been told what is being investigated the last 4 months.

“I’m going to coach again. I’m going to get out of the house real soon because I’m an American citizen,” he said.

He continues to obtain full pay while staying home and ready to be cleared. Once LAUSD begins an investigation, it will possibly last more than a 12 months. Former Huntington Park basketball coach Joe Reed returned this 12 months after 14 months on administrative depart after a parental grievance.

“I haven’t been told anything,” Garrett said. “All I’ve been told is we’re investigating. It doesn’t matter what happens because whatever they tell me what they are investigating, they will find no wrongdoing whatsoever.”

Garrett is writing a ebook. He said he was the first from his Jefferson High graduating class of 1977 to earn a faculty degree. His mom was one of 18 siblings and each one had six or more children. He graduated from Nebraska’s Concordia University in 1981 with a focus on instructing and has a Lutheran instructing certificates. He might be a pastor if he wished to.

“I’m not a coach, I’m an educator,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to get a college degree. You don’t know what I’ve been through and what I’ve seen.”

He provided phrases of knowledge for Thanksgiving: “Always do thy duty, which is best, leave unto the Lord the rest.”

You’ve heard the road, “Win one for the Gipper.” Now it’s, “Win one for The G Man.”