Football coach Peter Abe named new athletic director at Portola High School

Peter Abe will continue as Portola’s football coach. (File photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Portola High School officials on Monday announced that football coach Peter Abe will also assume the duties of being the new athletic director.

Abe, who has been the head football coach since the inception of the program, replaces Katie Levansailor, who took an assistant principal position within the district, accordng to Jeffrey Hernandez, assistant principal at Portola.

“Congratulations to Peter Abe for being selected as the new Portola HS athletic director,” Hernandez said in a statement. “Peter started out with Portola as a founding member of the planning team as the PE department chair and has remained a member of the leadership team since then. 

“As the head coach of the Portola High School football program, he worked with his staff to lead his team to our first football PCL league championship. Additionally, Peter has served as a critical member of our Athletic Advisory Committee since we initiated it four years ago.

“Peter has been a teacher for 14 years and has coached at several levels for 20. He has an MA in athletic administration and coaching and has experience as an athletic director from his years at Irvine High School.  While we are saddened at the loss of our founding AD Katie Levensailor and are grateful for the solid foundation that has been built; we are blessed to welcome Peter into the roll and look forward to his leadership.”

Levensailor said she is the new assistant principal at Jeffrey Trail Middle School in Irvine.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and my family,” she said. I have the chance to serve the IUSD community on a broader scale, continue to work with an amazing group of teachers and learners, and continue to grow in my own leadership capacities. I’m confident Peter will do a great job. He’s been a part of building the foundation of PHS athletics since day one.

“We will work closely together over the next few weeks to make sure the transition is smooth.”

Hernandez added that Abe will continue as football coach and will name an assistant athletic director to help him.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com