11 Oct High School Coaches Removed From Jobs Get Community Support

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

Community members showed up at Wednesday’s West Contra Costa school board meeting in support of two high school coaches who haven’t been in their positions since at least September. 

It comes a week after several sources told the Bay Area News Group that El Cerrito High School’s football coach, Jacob Rincon, was placed on administrative leave for unknown reasons. 

The absences of the two coaches  —  the other being Kennedy High School’s girls’ soccer coach, Yaquelin Valencia, known as Coach Jackie — are not believed to be connected.

Those parents and other ECHS community members made references to Rincon and an assistant coach, Nicholas Brown, being the subjects of an investigation by the California Interscholastic Federation’s North Coast Section, or CIF-NCS, which governs high school sports, and the district.

CIF-NCS’s commissioner Pat Cruickshank did not confirm or deny an investigation but referred any requests for comment “regarding coaches or the situation” to the district. 

Rincon’s removal is “based on unfounded rumors rather than a fair assessment of his character and contributions to our team and community,” according to Lateefa King, a parent of an El Cerrito football player. 

Some parents also say that Rincon’s leave is the result of “retaliatory behavior” by “school leaders and district appointees (who) just don’t like the fact that (El Cerrito High) has a thriving program.”

Superintendent Kenneth “Chris” Hurst denied specific allegations by some parents, including one who said that students were followed by a member of his executive team as part of the investigation they referred to. 

“There are things that we cannot speak about,” Hurst said after public comment, citing personnel matters. “But we do want to share with you that we are following through on all of those items.”

“He is El Cerrito,” said Terry Wilson Jr. “The program doesn’t look the same without him, nothing looks the same without him.” 

KHS community members also shared what the school would miss without Coach Jackie. 

Her “commitment to Kennedy is unmatched,” said teacher Cristina Huerta, and is “a true advocate of women’s sports and deserves to be the soccer coach for Kennedy.” 

Less was known about the reason for Valencia’s departure from the role, but she continues to coach the school’s girls’ volleyball team, according to students. She graduated from Kennedy in 2010. 

Huerta said that Valencia reportedly is fighting her removal from the role.

Rincon was previously placed on administrative leave in 2021 when a 2019 video showing a controversial drill resurfaced. Rincon, who was not present at the time of the drill, was cleared. Players also came out in support of him at that time. 

Parents said Rincon’s administrative leave — paired with references to the previous leave by the media, which they criticized — is affecting the players. 

He’s the “heart of our team,” said Gary Youngblood, one of Rincon’s football players. “We need him.”

The next West Contra Costa school board meeting is Oct. 23.