Football Coaching Staff

Varsity

(pictures coming soon)

Mike Kane

Head Coach

Coach Mike Kane brings a great deal of football expertise to West Ranch High School. Prior to joining West Ranch, Coach Kane was an Assistant Football Coach at College of the Canyons and a Physical Education teacher at Bowman High School.

Mike Kane received recognition as a High School and College All-American Football player. Following College, he played professional football, first in Europe where he was recognized as the 1988 European Football Player of the Year. In 1990, Coach Kane signed as a running back with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. Most recently, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at both his college (California State University Northridge) and high school (St. Francis). Coach Kane, his wife Lindie and their two young sons reside in Valencia.

 

Martin Konrad

Defensive Coordinator

Coach Konrad began coaching at Los Angeles Valley College under Jim Fenwick, who coached Mike Kane when he attended CSUN. This is his 12th year coaching football and teaching, and his third at West Ranch. Martin Konrad attended St. Francis High School where he played football and basketball. He was All CIF on both offense and defense in football his senior year and named Defensive Player of the Year for the division. He played football for four years as he attended University of the Pacific.

Coach Konrad was the head coach at Flintridge Prep High School in La Cañada for four years, where he led his team to the Division 13 CIF Title in 2003, earning him the title of CIF Coach of the Year. During the 2003 season, his offense was one of the top units, leading the Southern Section with points per game (42). The highlights are of his leading his team to the playoff’s 3 of 4 years and recognition as the 2002 Glendale News Press Coach of the Year. Coach Konrad lives in Valencia with his wife Anne and their two children.

 

Andy Markel

QBs

Coach Andy Markel is in his 5th year coaching at West Ranch High School. He loves football and coaching. Coach Markel played quarterback at Rock Hill High School in Southern Ohio, where he earned “1st Team All Ohio Valley Conference” honors his Senior Year. He was also an All Southern Ohio District selection in Basketball his Senior Year. He joined the United States Navy after graduating High School in 1982. He served on board “The Battleship” USS New Jersey, (BB-62) stationed in Long Beach, California. 

Coach Markel joined the Los Angeles Police Department after exiting the military in 1987. He is a Sergeant with twenty one years of Law Enforcement experience. He is currently assigned to the Tactics Unit, at the Davis Training Facility in Granada Hills. He is a tenured instructor for the LAPD and the Department of Homeland Security having taught Law Enforcement classes for the past ten years, all over the United States.

Coach Markel lives in Stevenson Ranch with his wife Tammy who is also an LAPD Detective and their two daughters.

 

Mike Spell

RB/DB

Coach Spell has been coaching youth football for ten years. This is his fourth year coaching at West Ranch High School. He played football while attending Hamilton High School and the US Air Force Academy.

Coach Spell has a career in the Aerospace industry. He resides in Castaic and has three children, Joseph, Michael and Madison. His son, Joseph currently plays running back and defensive back for West Ranch.

 

Nick Titiriga

OL/DL

Coach Titiriga is in his fourth year coaching at West Ranch. Prior to joining the Wildcat coaching staff, he coached seven years at Canyon High School. Coach Titiriga coached all levels while at Canyon; he has been a position coach, defensive coordinator, and head coach at the Frosh and JV levels. He also played football, and eventually went on to be the Head Coach for the National Champion’s, LAPD Centurions.

Coach Titiriga is currently a 30-year veteran Sergeant for the LAPD.  He attended Torrance High, and has a Bachelor’s degree. He also has a strong desire to become a teacher and continue coaching upon his retirement from the LAPD. Coach Titiriga and his wife Janis, who is one of the football team’s athletic trainers, live in Acton. Coach Titiriga has three adult sons who are staunch Wildcat Football supporters!

 

Bill Irace

Defensive Backs

Coach Irace has been coaching for 38 years. He has coached at the high school and college levels. He attended Hoover High, Glendale College, and CUSN, where at all three levels he ran track and played football.

Coach Irace and his wife Diane have a daughter named Joy and a son, John. He also has three grandchildren, Zach, Zoey, and Zalie. Coach Irace was a teacher in the Glendale Unified School District at Crescenta Valley High. Coach Irace is looking forward to coaching at West Ranch and hopes that we are successful in making it to the CIF play-offs. He loves coaching football!

 

Steve Miller

Linebackers

Coach Miller joins the West Ranch coaching staff this year. He draws on a wide range of experience as he played at both the high school and college levels while attending Cardinal Newman High School and University of the Pacific. Coach is in the snack food industry where he is a Regional Sales Manager. He and his wife Heather live in Valencia with their two children.

Junior Varsity

 

Sean O’Brien

Head Coach

Coach O’Brien has coached football at the high school and college levels and this is his fourth year coaching at West Ranch High School. Last year, Coach O’Brien was the head coach of the 9-0 WRHS JV football team. Before joining the West Ranch coaching staff, he was head Junior Varsity coach for four years at Hart High School where his squads won three league championships. 

Sean O’Brien played football at Newbury Park High School where, as a senior, he was Captain and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He played college football (NCAA Div-III) at Occidental College where he was Captain and recipient of the Captain’s Award for Leadership in his senior year.  

Coach O’Brien has been teaching for 16 years. This is his fourth year as an English teacher and Head of the English department at West Ranch High School. Prior to joining the staff at West Ranch, Coach O’Brien taught at Hart High School for 11 years. He acquired his Master’s degree in Teaching and his Clear Credential for teaching in 1991. In 2002, Coach O’Brien earned his National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adulthood English. In 2007, Coach O’Brien was named WRHS Teacher of the Year, William S. Hart District Teacher of the Year, and Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year. He is also an adjunct professor of English at College of the Canyons. Coach O’Brien resides in Saugus with his wife Sue and their two children.

 

Tim Von Busch

Defensive Coordinator

Coach Von Busch begins his second season at West Ranch. Last year he served as the Head Coach of the Freshman team. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he spent three seasons at Los Angeles Baptist High School in the San Fernando Valley, the last two as Head Varsity Coach. In 2005, Coach Von Busch’s LAB squad won the Alpha League championship and advanced to the CIF Semi-finals in Division XII. Prior to his time at LAB, Coach Von Busch spent three years coaching at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. 

Coach Von Busch attended John Burroughs High School and played for Coach Bob Dunivant on the 1987 Burroughs squad, which advanced to the CIF Championship game. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Southern California, his JD from Loyola Law School and his teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University. He currently teaches History at West Ranch.  He and his wife Elizabeth live in Saugus with their two children.

 

Emmanuel Benitez

WR/DB

Coach Benitez is beginning his second year coaching at West Ranch. His first year was spent with the Freshman team and he has followed the boys up to the Junior Varsity level. He coached two years for Cougar Football youth league prior to joining the WRHS Wildcats. Emmanuel "Manny" Benitez attended St. John Bosco High School where he played football and was on the wrestling team. In his senior year, he was first Team All League Corner Back with eight interceptions. Coach Benitez also played Del Rey League 4A football. He attended Fort Hays State University.  

Coach Benitez would like to recognize the JV coaches and players. The coaches have been putting in long hours to see that our hard working athletes continue to be "a force to be reckoned with" and bring another exciting year to WEST RANCH FOOTBALL. He urges players to "give 110% on the field as well as off the field and you’ll see where the hard work gets you." Coach Benitez has a son on the Varsity team, Gabriel Regalado # 47. He and his wife, Carol reside in Castaic.

 

Steve Flores

OL/DL

Coach Flores joins the WRHS Coaching staff this year. He has been coaching for many years at John Burroughs High School and youth tackle football, baseball and girls softball in Newbury Park.

Coach Flores played at John Burroughs High School where he was awarded honorable mention at the linebacker position. Coach Flores played and coached under Coach Dunivant and Rosales at Burroughs. He owns On The Rock Exterminators and lives with his two sets of twins in Castaic.

Freshman

 

Jan R. Miller, Jr.

Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Coach Miller has been coaching for 15 years. He coached several years in the military and three years at the High School level. He has coached youth football for 10 years. He played football at Royal High School and Reseda High School. This is his first year at West Ranch.

Coach Miller retired in June 2006, after serving 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. He retired as a Sergeant Major. He and his wife Kim reside in Castaic. They have three sons. His son, Caleb plays on the Varsity team. Coach Miller is currently a Police Officer with the LAPD.

 

Marc Manfro

WR/DB/Special Teams

Coach Manfro is in his first season at West Ranch coaching receivers, the secondary and special teams. He has been coaching on and off for nearly 20 years, winning championships in football and baseball, and numerous undefeated basketball seasons. He played six years of semi-pro football at wide receiver and kick returner, and played defensive line on the N.Y.C. Championship Holy Cross H.S. football team. 

He is presently retired from the NYPD where he had received 57 awards, and splits his time between NYC and LA. He has worked as a consultant to numerous movies and TV shows, and last year was requested to speak at the Ronald Reagan Museum. He has two sons in the West Ranch football program; his oldest Marc, a defensive lineman on the Varsity team, and his youngest, Steven, a tailback, strong safety and kick returner on the Freshman team.

 

Leo Yepez

Asst. Defensive Coordinator/OL/DL

Coach Yepez is coaching football at West Ranch High School for the fourth year. Coach Yepez attended Canyon High School where he was an All-League Football Player. In his freshman year at Canyon, Coach Yepez met Coach Kane, and credits him as both his inspiration to play football and as the reason for his recognition as an All-League Player.

 

Joe Barbosa

OL/DL
Joe Barbosa grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley where he played youth football and high school football at Canyon High School. He then played college football at California State University, Northridge for four years. Joe has been a youth football coach for the last five years. He lives in Stevenson Ranch with his wife Ann and their three children.

 

Kai Kaluna

OL/DL

Coach Kaluna begins his first year as a coach at West Ranch High School. He spent several years coaching youth football with the Castaic Cougar Football Organization where he is currently a board member. Coach Kaluna is a 1988 graduate of Saint Monica Catholic High School where he was an All Camino Real League performer. He received a football scholarship to Weber State College (Division 1-AA) in the Big Sky Conference where he was recruited by Head Coach Mike Price. Coach Kaluna received a BA in Political Science.

Coach Kaluna resides in Castaic with his wife of 14 years, Karen and their six children, three of which (Alysa-class of 2008, Amber-class of 2009 & Makaio-class of 2011) attend West Ranch High School.

 

Will Ortiz

WR/DB

Coach Will Ortiz begins his first year as an assistant coach at West Ranch High School. He has spent several years coaching baseball and youth tackle football in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Coach Ortiz played football on both the offensive and defensive side while attending Jefferson High School, in Northern California, and continued his football career at San Mateo Community College. Although his football days were cut short when he decided to serve his country and join the United States Army during Desert Storm, his love for the game has never dissipated.

Coach Ortiz is an 11-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, and is currently a Detective assigned to Wilshire Division. Coach Ortiz resides in Stevenson Ranch with his wife of 8 years, Madelline, and his two children, Avery and Katalina.