St. Margaret’s Episcopal School today announced the appointment of Assistant Head Football Coach Rod Baltau to Head Football Coach. Coach Baltau brings extensive high school football experience both as a coach and player, and has coached at St. Margaret’s since 2007.

In a team meeting this afternoon, Director of Athletics Susie Maga announced the news to the team players and coaching staff who erupted into spontaneous cheers, table pounding and applause for their new coach.

Coach Baltau addressed his team for the first time as Head Coach and said, “Staying at St. Margaret’s and accepting this position was an easy decision for me. I don’t want to be anywhere else. This was my first choice; my only choice.” Several team members responded by shouting, “We love you.” Coach Baltau answered, “I love you guys, too.”

Coach Baltau has been an important factor in the Tartans unprecedented success in the last few years that includes four back-to-back CIF Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), a 2008 CIF State Championship and the longest winning streak in Orange County history, 44-0 (2006-2009). He has served as offensive line coach, defensive end coach, wide receiver coach and quarterback coach in his tenure with the Tartans. Previously, he was the quarterback coach for Canyon High School in Canyon Country, Calif., working with Coach Harry Welch, when the team won the CIF Southern Section title and the CIF Division I State Championship in 2006. Baltau came to St. Margaret’s from Canyon with Coach Welch in 2007.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rod in this new role at St. Margaret’s. He’s an experienced coach with vast knowledge of the game and proven success,” said Maga. “He will maintain stability and continuity within the program. He is enthusiastic about the position, knows our student-athletes well and has earned their respect.

“We share a deep commitment to continue the achievement and reputation that this program has worked so hard to build. He cares not only about the team’s success on the field, but as much about who these young men are off the field. That outlook is extremely important to us as well.”

Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut said, “Of paramount importance to us is that Rod understands and embraces the role and philosophy of the Athletic Program at St. Margaret’s. Football is a significant part of our national culture and a rallying point in the life of any school community, ours included. Its core role at St. Margaret’s, however, is instilling in these young men a solid foundation of integrity, sportsmanship, teamwork, achievement and mutual respect as we work to prepare them for healthy and productive lives of learning, leadership and service in the 21st century.”

Football has been an important part of Baltau’s life beginning in high school and through college. He played quarterback on the 46-game winning streak team at Canyon High School in the 1980s and went on to earn a full football scholarship to the University of Texas, El Paso.

“I have never felt so much a part of a community as I do here at St. Margaret’s. I have met so many good people and feel great support from everyone here,” Coach Baltau said after the announcement. “I believe in St. Margaret’s and our shared mission, and I believe in what athletics and football teach a young person about life—there are many lessons to be learned on an athletic field. We are focused on our players being strong students, responsible and contributing citizens and good people, first.”

Looking forward, Coach Baltau said you can expect more of the same from the Tartans. “We’re going to continue the program with not much change. There are so many great things already in place. We plan to continue to out work, out hustle and out prepare. The wins will take care of themselves.”

Coach Baltau takes over the head job from Harry Welch who coached the Tartans from 2007-2009, announcing last week that he will join Santa Margarita High School as Head Football Coach. Baltau said of his predecessor, “I want to thank Harry Welch for bringing me to St. Margaret’s. I would not be here if it weren’t for him. I owe him much gratitude and I wish him all the best at Santa Margarita.”

Prior to his coaching career, Baltau spent many years in the aviation industry working with commercial jet aircraft engines holding various supervisory and managerial positions. He is a California native and lives in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Tags: Athletics