Jerry Ralph made history earlier this week when he was announced as the head football coach at El Camino High in Oceanside, becoming the first to lead five different San Diego Section programs.
Ralph has compiled a 123-76-2 Â (.614) record in 18 seasons, beginning in 1997 at Santana, followed by stints at St. Augustine, Del Norte, and Hoover.
Willie Matson (184-132-6, .581) also has had five head coaching assignments, but two were at the same school. Matson began at Mission Bay in 1984 and returned there in 2005.
Matson is still active, ranking 12th all-time in number of wins. Ralph is 30th.
Dave Gross (106-123-3, .464) also was a five-time head coach, including two tenures each at Imperial and El Cajon Valley.
Ralph had shared the lead with Monte Vista’s Ron Hamamoto, who also guided programs at University, Rancho Bernardo, and Lincoln. Hamamoto is eighth on the career list with 203 victories.
Gil Warren and Walter (Bud) Mayfield also had four head coaching tenures.
Warren began at Castle Park in 1967 and returned there in 1992 and also was  at San Diego Southwest and Olympian.
Mayfield began at Coronado in 1979 and was reappointed there in 1989 and again in 1993. Sandwiched between his runs at Coronado was a year stay at University in 1981.
See list of Coaches with a minimum of 100 wins here.
