Leo Hand Steps Down at Serra High

Leo Hand, who guided Serra High’s football team to a 24-1 record in two seasons and the Southern Section Division VII title in 1989, is stepping down indefinitely to take a coaching sabbatical, Serra Principal James Crowell said Friday.

Crowell said Hand will continue to teach at Serra and has the option to return as coach. Hand will be replaced by Jon Dimalante, who previously was Serra’s defensive coordinator.

Crowell said Hand is taking what he termed a “temporary sabbatical” to devote more time to post-graduate studies and write a book on coaching high school football. Hand has already written three books on coaching.

Hand took over the Serra program in 1989 and guided the Cavaliers to their best season ever. They finished 14-0 and won the school’s first CIF title with a 34-31 victory over Lompoc. He was named The Times’ South Bay Coach of the Year.

Last season, Serra was 10-0 and had the state’s third-longest winning streak, 24 games, before losing to Arroyo Grande, 31-0, in the Division VII semifinals.

Dimalante, who has coached with Hand the past several years at Serra and Servite High in Anaheim, has a strong background in football dating back to his days as a defensive back for Fresno State in 1983-84.

“We feel confident in Mr. Dimalante’s abilities to continue in Mr. Hand’s position,” Crowell said.