The Athletic Department is proud to announce that Mark Modeste has been named Head Coach of the Archbishop Riordan Football Program, where he hopes to mentor young men and foster a culture of success in one of the most competitive leagues in the state. Among the host of extraordinary applicants from all over California and beyond, Coach Modeste stood out as the best match for our school at this time in its storied history, including this summer’s groundbreaking of the new Mayer Family Field at The Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Athletic Complex.

A Bay Area native, Coach Modeste (pronounced Mo-dest) spent nine years as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, where he guided the Gators to five Central Coast Section Championships, two NorCal Championships, and two trips to the state finals. This was all for a school that didn’t even have a football program until 1999. He most recently served as a History teacher and Head Football Coach at Strake Jesuit in Houston, Texas, where he led his team to an 8-3 season in which the team ultimately lost in the playoffs to the eventual Texas State 6A Champions.

Modeste grew up in the South Bay, where he excelled academically and played football at both St. Francis High School and Santa Clara University. He’s a family man, who is looking forward to coming home to the Bay Area with his wife, Sara, and their five children. For Riordan sports trivia enthusiasts, it’s worth noting that Mark’s dad, Ron, was the Riordan head football coach in the late 50’s and introduced the “Victory Bell” to Riordan culture. We are blessed to continue our relationship with the Modeste family.

As the son of a coach, Modeste has been a true student of the game. And having played in the WCAL and coached against WCAL teams, he is very familiar with the league. He helped SHP beat Riordan’s great 2015 team in the CCS championship, and according to SHP Assistant Coach Mark Fabbri, “Coach Modeste has a great understanding of defense and a great ability to communicate with his players and coaches. He engineered the game plan that enabled SHP to shut out Bellarmine in the CCS Open championship game in 2014.”

Most importantly, Modeste will be a role model to our boys. Fabbri went on to say, “Coach Modeste is a man of faith who was educated in Catholic schools and will instill Christian values in his players through example and perseverance. Character development is just as important to Mark as X’s and O’s.”

Our young men are lucky to have Coach Modeste join the Riordan community. Along with his impressive resume, he brings with him a confident energy and positive spirit that transcends the football field. Mark has a true appreciation of the value of high school sports. In his interview he stated, “I learned this game and how to teach it from some incredible men over the course of my life. It is my passion and calling to pass it on to others.”

Once again, Archbishop Riordan High School is pleased to welcome Mark Modeste and his family to our community. See additional coverage of this announcement in The Examiner.