By Uy Pham
Football head coach and current Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) physical education teacher David Gutierrez confirmed his resignation to the Orange County Register on Tuesday evening. Gutierrez was hired at the beginning of the 2021 fall season and led the team for four seasons, three of which were in the highly competitive Sunset League.
At the time of his hiring, Gutierrez had been a P.E. teacher at FVHS for four years and previously coached football at several local high schools, including a previous year stint for the Barons.
This past season, the Barons competed in the newly-created Foxtrot League designed by CIF to balance league competition through a releaguing process. His record for the past four seasons, in order: 1-9, 4-6, 3-8 and 1-9. In his tenure, Guiterrez and the Barons secured a CIF playoff appearance last season.
“Nothing negative but just mutually decided to move on,” Gutierrez said to the Orange County Register on Tuesday regarding his resignation.
In a districtwide email sent on Monday morning, the Huntington Beach Union High School District sent a notice stating there was an opening for the head varsity football coach position at FVHS.
On Wednesday morning, Assistant Principal of Activities and Athletics Hayato Yuuki sent an email to all FVHS staff thanking Gutierrez for the past four seasons.
“I’d like to take a moment to congratulate and thank Coach Dave Gutierrez for his four years of service with our football program. He has been a dedicated coach and mentor to so many of our student athletes and has helped them grow both on and off the field,” Yuuki wrote in the email. “We are very grateful for all of his contributions that he and his staff have done for FV and our community.”
Gutierrez currently remains as a P.E. teacher at FVHS.
“It’s a great community,” Gutierrez told the Orange County Register. “I’m just happy to be able to serve the program for four years.”
Baron Banner has reached out to Gutierrez, Yuuki, Principal Paul Lopez and Athletics Director Roger Holmes for further comment.
