Former Arizona tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, who played in the NFL for 10 years after his Wildcat career from 1997 to 2000, has been hired as head coach at Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger High School.
The school, in the Centinela Valley Union District in the Southeast area of Los Angeles near Hawthorne, announced the hiring on Wednesday via Twitter.
To which he posted this response:
https://t.co/CeXqwCr4TD pic.twitter.com/caB4l8s3ou
— Brandon Manumaleuna (@BManu86) November 26, 2020
Manumaleuna, 40, has coached since 2011 right after his NFL career concluded with the Chicago Bears.
He was the wide receivers coach from 2011 to 2013 and the offensive coordinator from 2013 to last season at his alma mater Los Angeles Narbonne High School. He was hired to be the defensive line coach at Playa del Rey (Calif.) St. Bernard High School in March.
His hire as head coach of the Leuzinger Olympians makes him the 41st former Arizona athlete to become a current head coach.
Manumaleuna, a political science major at Arizona, was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection as a junior in 1999. He was recruited by Dick Tomey and his staff as a defensive lineman out of Narbonne but made the switch to tight end and H-back. He finished his Arizona career with 40 receptions for 544 yards and three touchdowns.
He was selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2001 by the St. Louis Rams, of whom he played for from 2001 to 2005 before stints with the San Diego Chargers (2006 to 2009) and Bears (2010). He was a member of the Rams team that lost to New England in Super Bowl XXXVI in the 2001 season.
Schools in the Centinela Valley Union District, which includes Leuzinger, Lawndale and Hawthorne, have yet to resume any athletic activities toward a projected season starting with full practices Dec. 14 with the opener in January.
The season was delayed from the fall to the winter-spring because of COVID-19 concerns.
FORMER ARIZONA ATHLETES WHO ARE HEAD COACHES
List of head coaches of various sports and different levels who competed at Arizona. Compiled by AllSportsTucson.com.| Name | UA | Team | Sport | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adia Barnes | 1995-99 | Arizona | Women's hoops | 2016 |
| Heidi Bomberger-Bruschi | 1993-97 | Attleboro (MA) Feehan HS | Volleyball | 2020 |
| Matt Brase | 2003-05 | Pallacanestro Varese (Italy) | Men's hoops | 2022 |
| Robert Bonillas | 1995-98 | Desert View HS | Football | 2012 |
| Tod Brown | 1990-94 | New Mexico | Baseball | 2022 |
| Casey Candaele | 1979-82 | Buffalo (AAA) Blue Jays | Baseball | 2021 |
| Jackie Coburn | 2002-05 | Scottsdale Horizon HS | Softball | 2013 |
| Clark Crist | 1977-80 | Pulaski (VA) River Turtles | Baseball | 2021 |
| Debby Day | 1989-91 | Cal-Lutheran | Softball | 2002 |
| Shelley Duncan | 1999-2001 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) Yankees | Baseball | 2023 |
| Byron Evans | 1983-86 | South Mountain HS | Football | 2020 |
| Terry Francona | 1977-80 | Cleveland Indians | MLB | 2013 |
| Tanya Farhat-Villarreal | 1994-97 | West Bend (WI) Slinger HS | Softball | 2015 |
| Brenda Frese | 1989-93 | Maryland | Women's hoops | 2002 |
| Kristie Fox | 2004-07 | UNLV | Softball | 2017 |
| Margo Geer | 2011-14 | Alabama | Swimming/Diving | 2020 |
| Chip Hale | 1984-87 | Arizona | Baseball | 2022 |
| Jason Hisey | 1988-91 | Canyon del Oro HS | Baseball | 2019 |
| Jack Howell | 1983 | Tri-City (A) Angels | Baseball | 2021 |
| Krista Humphreys | 1993-96 | Corona (CA) Centennial HS | Softball | 2015 |
| Mark Keel | 1979-82 | Silverdale (WA) Central Kitsap HS | Football | 2000 |
| Steve Kerr | 1983-88 | Golden State Warriors | NBA | 2014 |
| Andy Litten | 1999-03 | Scottsdale Horizon HS | Football | 2021 |
| Hunter Long | 2013-15 | Douglas HS | Football | 2019 |
| Caitlin Lowe | 2004-07 | Arizona | Softball | 2022 |
| Brandon Manumaleuna | 1997-00 | Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger HS | Football | 2020 |
| Jennifer Martinez-Walls | 2008-09 | Abraham Baldwin (GA) JC | Softball | 2017 |
| Craig McMillan | 1984-88 | Santa Rosa (CA) JC | Men's hoops | 2000 |
| Richard Mercado | 2002-04 | Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei HS | Baseball | 2019 |
| Leighton Milton | 1992-93 | Hollywood (CA) HS | Football | 2020 |
| Edwin Mulitalo | 1995-98 | Southern Virginia | Football | 2018 |
| Ronnie Palmer | 2005-08 | Monterrey Peninsula (CA) JC | Football | 2020 |
| Jose Portilla | 1996-97 | Heritage Academy | Football | 2017 |
| Rebekah Quiroz | 2002 | Pima CC | Softball | 2019 |
| Colt Sedbrook | 2006-08 | Crown College (MN) | Baseball | 2024 |
| Jason Stewart | 1997-99 | Encinitas (CA) San Dieguito HS | Boys hoops | 2014 |
| Damon Stoudamire | 1992-95 | Georgia Tech | Men's hoops | 2023 |
| Rafael Valenzuela | 2008-10 | Bowling Green (A) Rays | Baseball | 2023 |
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