Varsity Coaches
Head Football Coach Harry Welch
Harry Welch is the head football coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. He joined the Santa Margarita Eagle Football Family in January 2010. That same year he was named the Orange County Register 2010 High School Football Coach of the Year and the Los Angeles Times 2010 High School Football Coach of the Year.
Prior to Santa Margarita Catholic, Coach Welch was the head football coach at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano. During his three years at St. Margaret's his teams won one CIF State Football Championship, three CIF Southern Section Football Championships, three League Football Championships, and set numerous California and Orange County High School Football records. Coach Welch also earned one CIF State Football Championship and five CIF Southern Section Football Championships as the head football coach at Canyon Country High School in Santa Clarita. Coach Welch is the only high school football coach in the history of California high school football that has won two CIF State Football Championships at two different schools.
Coach Welch has been coaching for 37 years, and as a head coach for 22 years has amassed a record of 231-52-2, including a 46 game winning streak, a 43 game winning streak, the 2006 Division 1 CIF State Football title, the 2008 Small School Division CIF State Football title, and eight CIF Southern Section Football titles. In 2007 Coach Welch was named the California Coaches Association Coach of the Year. This prestigious and distinguished award annually includes high school, college, and professional football coaches. The Los Angeles Daily News named Coach Welch as the high school football Coach of the Decade.
Coach Welch and his lovely wife, Cindee, live nearby to Santa Margarita Catholic in Coto de Caza. He has two daughters, Lisa St. John and Julie Adam, five grandchildren, Nicholas, Nathan, Kara, Evan, and Riley. When not coaching football, Coach Welch enjoys reading, traveling, fine dining at our many local restaurants, and walking his St. Bernard, Ruby.
