Former Pasadena High Coach Takes Helm at Scandal-Plagued Narbonne Football Program

Former Pasadena High School football coach Doug Bledsoe has accepted the challenging position of head coach at Narbonne High School, which was recently banned from postseason play for three years following rules violations, City News Service reported.

Narbonne High School’s football team has been barred from CIF City Section postseason play until 2028 and forced to forfeit its 2024 City Section Open Division championship after an investigation revealed the program violated City Section and Los Angeles Unified School District bylaws, according to CNS.

The entire Narbonne athletic department was placed on probation from Wednesday through 2028 after the CIF City Section investigation found that the school had violated two bylaws: providing inaccurate information about student-athletes and making contact with potential student-athletes before they enrolled.

The violations involved seven ineligible players participating in 14 football games in 2024, including the City Section Open Division championship game where Narbonne defeated San Pedro 75-31, CNS reported.

Bledsoe, who compiled a 10-20 record during his three-year tenure at Pasadena High School from 2013 to 2016, expressed optimism about the opportunity despite the circumstances.

“Somebody has to do it. Honestly, it’s really a privilege and honor to come back to the City Section. I’m a City guy born and raised,” Bledsoe told the Los Angeles Times.

During his time at Pasadena High, Bledsoe faced similar rebuilding challenges. The Bulldogs went 1-9 in his first season before gradually improving.

“Our first year was dedicated to setting the foundation for the program. The program was on hard times. It was a matter of coming in and understanding we had to change the culture,” Bledsoe told Hey SoCal in 2014 during his second year coaching the Bulldogs.

Bledsoe’s most notable achievement at Pasadena High was leading the team to a 13-6 victory over rival Muir in the Turkey Tussle during his final year — Pasadena’s first win over Muir since 1995.

The 55-year-old coach, who graduated from Dorsey High School where he was a three-year varsity letterman, has also coached at Dorsey, University, and North Hollywood high schools, as well as serving as an assistant at Salesian, Burroughs, Compton College and Pierce College, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Narbonne’s previous coach, Malcolm Manuel, resigned after the 2024 season and now coaches at Cabrillo High in Long Beach. The team’s quarterback and several other players deemed ineligible have transferred to other schools, leaving Bledsoe with a significant rebuilding task.

“It means our staff and the kids who stay get an opportunity to build a new foundation. I love the area, love the new administration coming in,” Bledsoe told the Los Angeles Times.

Narbonne will be allowed to appeal the penalties and postseason ban after the 2025-26 school year, according to City News Service.

Despite the challenges ahead, Bledsoe expressed a long-term commitment to the program: “I intend to be at Narbonne until my grandson plays for me and graduates,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “He’s 3 years old.”