Redell receives Hall cal

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers HE STILL HAS IT- Oaks Christian head coach Bill Redell shows the form that made him a football star during his playing days. Later this month, Oaks Christian head football coach Bill Redell will be going on an important trip to Colorado Springs, Colo.

No, it's not a recruiting trip.

Thanks to a high school coaching resume more impressive than a Jimi Hendrix greatest hits album, Redell will be inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame on June 24 at the Double Tree Hotel in Colorado.

Redell has guided the Oaks Christian football team to five straight CIF-Southern Section titles, tying a Southern California record. During that stretch, the Lions won 48 consecutive games, a CIF-Southern Section record.

Redell, who's also a member of the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, has compiled an overall record of 183593, with six section titles at the high school level. His coaching career has had stops at Crespi and St. Francis high schools, as well as OCHS.

"I had heard rumors that I was going to go in, but I wasn't sure," Redell said. "When I got the letter telling me I was going in I was real surprised, and the first person I told was my wife, Cheryl.

"The best part about this whole situation, however, is that it really pisses off (Oak Park head coach and athletic director) Dick Billingsley."

Redell, as always, credits his coaching staff.

"It feels great to be honored, but this is also recognition of the outstanding job the entire coaching staff and players have done," he said. "You have to have the great players for this to be possible."

Although Redell and his wife were involved in a car accident on the 10 Freeway on Dec. 30, the two are both now recovering from knee surgery and should have no problem making the trip to Colorado, Redell said. Oaks Christian athletic director and longtime friend Jan Hethcock and his wife, Donna, will also make the trip.

"It's going to be real nice to sit back and enjoy watching (Redell) get this honor," Hethcock said. "There must be hundreds of thousands of coaches in the nation every year, and he'll be one of only 40 getting inducted that night. There is nobody more deserving of this honor."

Westlake High head coach Jim Benkert, who served as an assistant head coach to Redell at Crespi, was also thrilled upon hearing Redell would be inducted.

"He is definitely worthy of the honor," Benkert said. "I learned a lot from coaching with him. I saw that he was a fantastic leader and that he related to his players and their parents very well. He did a great job of keeping the parents close but not too close, to where he wasn't able to operate his own football program."

Hethcock said another factor that has helped Redell is his calm demeanor.

"I get a lot of people mentioning these days to me that Redell doesn't do a lot of screaming like other coaches do nowadays," Hethcock said. "Instead of screaming, he's too busy teaching. I think that's why the players like him so much."

Redell believes there's another reason he's been so successful- his assistant coaches.

"When I worked in the insurance industry at Bolton and Company I learned how to delegate responsibility," Redell said. "Here at Oaks Christian, I've had some of the best coaches around in Clay Matthews, Mark Bates, Mike Mario and Bob Richards. They've made life a lot easier on me."

When Oaks Christian began its football program in 2000, Redell said the decision to apply for the head coaching job was easy.

Oaks Christian "was only two miles from my house, so it was really convenient," Redell said. "I also liked associating myself with good Christian schools, and the fact that I had a chance to start a program was real appealing as well."

These days, Hethcock couldn't be happier with his choice to hire Redell eight years ago, but the decision wasn't a simple one.

"It actually came down to me picking between Redell and Matthews, both worthy candidates," Hethcock said. "On one side I had one of the best NFL linebackers of all time, and on the other side I had one of the best high school coaches of all time. I knew I couldn't make a mistake, and I told Matthews that I was choosing Redell because he had the high school experience.

"Matthews just sighed and then said, 'You know, if it was between him and me and I was in your position, I would choose (Redell) as well. You didn't make a mistake.'"

Redell said the Hall of Fame induction won't mean the end to his coaching days, but he did acknowledge the end is near.

"I'm walking up to the 17th and 18th fairways," Redell said. "I'm going to be 70 in three years and I'll probably re-evaluate my situation then. The thing that keeps me coming back is the kids and getting to teach them. That and the bantering with all the other coaches, even Billingsley."

Hethcock hopes the day never comes when Redell decides to hang up his whistle.

"I'm very fortunate he applied here, and it says a lot that (Redell) was able to build a program this fast in a new school," Hethcock said. "He keeps telling me that he might retire at age 70, but I ask him, 'What are you going to do? Go to June Lake? Yeah, that will last about a week, and then you'll be back here every day.'"