Buhach Colony High football shuffles coaching staff after back-to-back winless seasons
Kevin Navarra has invested a lot of time and energy into the Buhach Colony High football program since the school opened in 2001.
Now the longtime coach is ready to invest more.
One year after returning as the defensive coordinator, Navarra has been promoted to co-head coach, alongside current head coach Matt Granado.
The move comes after the Thunder suffered through a second consecutive 0-10 season.
“I have a huge investment in Buhach Colony High School Thunder football,” Navarra said. “And if I have the time, I want to dedicate all those minutes back to it.”
Navarra served as the Thunder head coach for seven years, compiling a 45-30 record, including an 11-1 season and a Central California Conference championship in 2019 before stepping down to become the athletic director at the school.
Navarra also served as defensive coordinator under former Thunder head coach Kevin Swartwood, helping lead BC to three consecutive Central California Conference championships from 2010 through 2012 and a couple deep playoff runs.
“Helping build us to a point where we were super competitive, we were relevant, our brand was known, has always been super important to me,” Navarra said. “When I transitioned into the AD role, the goal was hoping that we had a foundation in place that we were able to continue those successes moving forward. I think we’ve hit a few speed bumps.”
The Thunder have lost 21 consecutive games and were outscored 437 to 99 in their 10 losses last season.
Navarra has close to 30 years of coaching experience at Atwater and Buhach Colony. He can help serve as mentor to a coaching staff with many young coaches in the program.
Granado says the move is great for the program.
“The energy he brings is something that has helped,” Granado said. “He’s establishing some traditions and things that we were doing already, but just trying to upgrade it even more.”
One tradition Navarra has already brought back to the program is the early morning workouts. Players are expected to be in the weight room before school.
“There’s a lot to be learned by having young men get up at 6:55 as a team and work out before school,” Navarra said. “It gives you an opportunity to kind of work on the mind. If you train the brain, the body will follow. Most of these young men just haven’t been pushed, right? We’ve lost a little bit that discipline, , that accountability component.”
Navarra and Granado say they will communicate and make decisions together on player personnel, offseason workouts and coaching decisions.
“It’s someone that I’ve already kind of bounced ideas off of the last couple years, and him giving his input with what he could see from the outside, and last year, coming back, he’s able to see more,” Granado said. “It’s just about trying to help us get back to where we’ve been in the past with a fresh set of eyes.”
Navarra admits he thought he had coached his last football game when he stepped away to become athletic director in 2019. He thought his coaching duties would consist of coaching t-ball teams for his grandchildren.
“I don’t have many hobbies,” Navarra said. “I get up, I walk, I lift and I coach. So now with no AD responsibilities, there’s a huge void that’s missing, and this was the best way for me to be able to give back to the guys that I care about. I want to help return our school into a competitive situation.”
