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Sunny Hills has hired Luis Cruz as its football coach, the school announced Friday.
Cruz spent the past two seasons as the coach at Santa Ana.
“The hiring of coach Cruz marks an exciting new chapter for Sunny Hills,” Sunny Hills stated in its announcement. “We are proud to welcome coach Cruz as he prepares to lead the program with passion, integrity and a commitment to excellence both on and off the field.”
Cruz replaces Fred Gambrell, who departed after two seasons to become the coach at Aliso Niguel.
Santa Ana went a combined 6-14 the past two seasons under Cruz, including an 0-10 mark in the Iota League.
Before taking the helm at Santa Ana, Cruz served as an assistant coach at Santa Ana, Fullerton College, Esperanza and Valencia, his alma mater.
Cruz’s hire is pending human resources and district board approval. He is expected to be an on-campus physical education teacher.
Sunny Hills finished 6-4 last season after going 2-8 in 2024.
For the next two seasons, Sunny Hills will play in the Kappa League with Canyon, Esperanza, Fullerton, Portola and St. Margaret’s.
The Lancers’ placement in the Kappa represents a one-league promotion in the Orange County Football Conference from the Lambda League.
Please send football news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy