LONG BEACH — Kevin Pearson said he’s excited to make an impact as Long Beach Poly football’s offensive coordinator under new head coach Travon Patterson.
“I want to help get Poly back on top,” Pearson said.
Pearson, who resigned as Warren’s head coach in March 2024, said he’s ready to get back into coaching high school football, in particular to help a storied program like Poly.
“Just pouring into these young men’s lives and watching them reach the next level,” Pearson explained.
He said his quarterback-friendly system will be built around the team’s roster.
“Whatever the talent has I’m going to fit it into our scheme,” Pearson said. “I think we’re flexible enough to do that and I’m not going to force things on kids. We’re going to use their talent and exploit them the best we can and then coach them up.”
Pearson, who grew up in South Gate, recalls watching Poly win several of its 20 CIF Southern Section titles from afar.
“When I got into high school coaching,” Pearson said, “it was always kind of a dream of mine to coach at Poly, like with most young coaches.”
Pearson was 40-10 during his five years at Warren and notably coached UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava Jr.
In Pearson’s final game, Warren lost to St. Bonaventure 24-21 CIF-SS Division 3 final on Nov. 25, 2023.
Warren football head coach Kevin Pearson speaks during a memorial for senior Jaylon Connish at Justice Stadium in Downey on Friday, March 11, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
During the past two seasons, he served as a consultant at Cathedral High in Los Angeles.
“I’m a ball coach and I wanted to get back in,” Pearson said. “We’re all competitive and I wanted to get back into the game in a more impactful way.”
Pearson is also known for coaching and mentoring quarterback Bryce Young, who played for him at Cathedral High before transferring to Mater Dei. Young went on to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy at Alabama and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
“I’ve known him since he was 13 years old,” Pearson said of Young. “I’m so proud of him and the man he is and I just love him.”
Pearson believes his relationship with Young might serve as an example of how he plans to help today’s student-athletes.
“My best effort,” Pearson explained. “That’s all I’m going to give them, and true love and love them the right way.”
Poly announced the hiring of Pearson on Jan. 29.
Pearson said he and Poly’s new head coach understand what needs to be done to improve the Jackrabbits’ program, which has an 11-11 overall record over the past two seasons, going exactly .500 in 2024 and 2025.
“He’s going to let me do what I need to do,” Pearson said. “He’s given me full authority to do what I want to do. He trusts me and that’s all I need is trust. Trust is the key in any relationship.”
Pearson, who previously served as a head coach in Southern California for more than 20 years, believes his experience will help Poly during Patterson’s tenure.
“I think he’ll lean on me a little bit,” Pearson said, “A lot of situations that I’ve already been through, where I messed up big time, I can help him maybe not make those same mistakes I made.”