Lance Neal leaves Loara to become Century’s new varsity football coach

Lance Neal talks to his Loara players during the CIF championship game in 2021. (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).

Lance Neal, who led Loara to the CIF Division 14 championship in 2021, has been named new head varsity football coach at Century High School, Athletic Director Matt Cavanaugh said Saturday.

“I am looking forward to being a part of Century’s teaching and coaching staff and having the opportunity to work with the student athletes in the football program,” Neal said Saturday.

“I would like to put together a staff that can help Century become competitive in the Orange League.”

Neal had some success at Loara. The Saxons defeated Rialto 21-14 to win the championship in 2021. It was Neal’s first year at Loara, which won its first CIF title since 1979.

Loara was 4-6 overall and 2-3 in the Garden Grove League last season.

Neal was at Loara for two seasons and has coached football for more than 20 years. This will be his 10th year as a head coach.

“I took some time away from football when I was working as an AD,” he said. “I have been a high school AD for 15 years.”

Neal also had stints as athletic director at Beckman and Laguna Beach high schools.

Century finished the past season 0-10 overall and 0-5 in the Orange League under interim coach Randy Crocker, “a retired teacher at Century who did us a tremendous favor by stepping into a very difficult situation and working very hard,” Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh said offcials “could not be more grateful to him for those efforts.”

Cavanaugh said Neal will begin his assignment at Century on Monday, Jan. 9 when the new semester begins.

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