No regrets for Falcons head football coach
By Hector Trujillo
For someone who reached the pinnacle of high school football coaching at Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS), having won a state championship and Coach of the Year honors, Marlon Gardinera’s greatest accomplishments were those that he did off the field and the impact he had on those who played under him during his tenure.
“I’m not a drill sergeant. I’m a father – and I’m a father before I’m a coach,” Gardinera said. “As a father, I have an obligation and responsibility to these kids. If your goal is to make sure the kids are prepared and ready for life, then meet them where they are.”
Gardinera will be retiring from head coaching duties at the end of the 2025 season, handing over the reins to offensive coordinator John Taylor. The duo helped lead SRHS to its first winning seasons since 2013, multiple first-place conference finishes, a 2019 sectional runner-up, and, most importantly, a 2021 CIF Division 2 State championship.
Overcoming personal battles have helped shape Gardinera’s outlook on life starting with a diagnosis of Amyloidosis, a rare disease which had already spread to his organs in 1997, requiring an organ transplant in 2009. In January of 2013, he ended up with pneumonia that turned septic and saw momentarily flatline.
“I don’t think I was gone for too long, but they were able to bring me back,” Gardinera said. “It makes you focus and it makes clear what’s important.”
The ordeal also had him in a coma for eight days when he lost 70 pounds.
Before becoming a head football coach, he played baseball under famed Mission Bay High School baseball and football coach Dennis Pugh.
“He gave me those pivotal discussions as to what is important in life and what’s worth prioritizing, and that led to what I do today as a coach,” Gardinera said. “Baseball was my love, so I went to Mission Bay to play baseball where I found a second father and a mentor in Dennis Pugh.”
Gardinera grew up in Serra Mesa with a short stint in Tierrasanta, and almost went to Kearny High School before going on to play at Oklahoma State under baseball coach Gary Ward.
“It’s about making a difference. It’s about my sons and doing the exact same thing I do for my sons that I do for a hundred kids,” Gardinera said.
He will still be part of the coaching staff next season.