Jim Riggio
BURBANK -- Anything and everything are two ways to describe what Hal
Krug and Russ Johnson have done for Bellarmine-Jefferson High athletic
department.
After years of heading Guard teams, the two veteran coaches are
retiring -- Krug as the school's girls' volleyball coach and Johnson as
boys' volleyball coach.
"They are definitely irreplaceable," Bell-Jeff Athletic Director Bryan
Camacho said. "They are people who love kids and have helped so many of
them mature and become adults. The impact they've made at the school,
and in the community, has been beautiful to see."
Krug said he leaves his program at tough time.
"We had our best team in five years and we went 14-4 with five
sophomores starting, so I'm going to miss them," Krug said of last
season's team. "It's a good feeling to leave the new coach with such
skilled players."
Krug, 75, has been a teacher, athletic director and multisport coach
at the school since 1976. In his tenure, he hascoached the football team
for seven years and the baseball and girls' volleyball teams each 15
seasons each. He also assisted with the girls' softball program and the
boys' volleyball teams,working with Johnson.
Johnson, 65, a long-time walk-on coach who started the boys'
volleyball program in 1987, plans to continue to assist with the Guard
boys' basketball program in a limited capacity.
Gloria Arancibia, a 1991 Bell-Jeff grad and a former player of Krug's,
is new girls' volleyball coach. She will be assisted by Marina Amis, who
also played under Krug.
Taking over the boys' volleyball team is Miguel Segura, a 1996 grad
who was a player under Johnson.
Krug, who is retiring from the school as a coach and teacher, won five
league championships with the girls' volleyball team and brought nine
teams to the CIF playoffs.
In baseball, he led the team to one league title and nine playoff
appearances. He was also the school's athletic director from 1976 to 1981
and played a key role in the construction of the the school's Keating
Memorial Gymnasium.
"We were 0-28 in football the three years before I got here," Krug
said. "Basketball and baseball had averaged two wins a year in the three
previous years. Our school was rumored to be closing and we had no gym
and the graduating classes were around 80 students."
As the head football coach from 1978 to 1984, Krug posted a 26-32
record.
"I'm proud of the fact that I was part of the group that got our home
football games at Burroughs," said Krug, who said the team used to play
