Canyon High School is thrilled to announce the appointment of Vinnie Lopez as the new Head Football Coach for the Comanches program, succeeding Phil Hughes who resigned in November. 

Coach Lopez brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished coaching history, having compiled an impressive overall record of 67-38 over 10 seasons as a Head Football Coach. His most recent head coaching tenure was at Pacifica High School (2015-2021), where he led the Mariners to a 48-25 record.  Prior to that, he turned around the football program at El Rancho High School (2012-2014) compiling a 19-13 record. Lopez’s coaching expertise also includes roles as an Assistant Coach at Trabuco Hills High School, Santa Margarita High School, Rancho Alamitos High School, and Esperanza High School. Through his experiences, he has established many contacts at the college level which have been invaluable in getting his players opportunities to continue their playing career after high school.

His career honors include being named the 2018 LA Chargers Coach of the Year, the 2017 Southern California Coach of the Year by USMC, receiving the Empire League Coach of the Year award in both 2017 and 2020, and the Del Rio League Coach of the Year in 2014. He has also been recognized as the 2021 LA Chargers Coach of the Week and the 2023 LA Rams High School All Star 7v7 Coach. Outside of football, Coach Lopez is a dedicated educator, currently teaching PE and serving as the Head Track Coach at Pacifica High School. Since stepping down as Pacifica’s Head Football Coach in 2022, he has contributed to youth sports as the Executive Director of Football Coaches for Yorba Linda Pop Warner while also coaching his son’s Pop Warner team.

Canyon High School Principal Brent McKee spoke confidently about the new direction of the program. “This is a great day for Canyon Football! We spoke to many people who have worked with Coach Lopez, and they had nothing but great things to say about him. The common sentiment was that hiring Vinnie as our Head Coach would be a home run for the program.”

The school will host an introductory meet-and-greet event for parents and players in the Canyon High School library on Thursday, December 18th at 6:00 PM.