SANTA MONICA, Calif. — “I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in a very short time in our football program.” These were the words of Coach Gifford Lindheim. He stated this during his time as the football head coach at Santa Monica College. “I’m happy for the players that put their faith in what we’re trying to build, and the assistant coaches who share their expertise and spend tireless hours for little money. I’m thankful for the strong administrative support. I’m proud to be able to add to the many successes (academic and athletic) of our amazing college. The awards (conference champions and Coach of the Year) are organizational awards that reflect on all of our hard work. That’s what’s so cool about it.”

These words expressed his pride and excitement at his team’s success both on the pitch and in the classroom.

The successes of Coach Lindheim were not coincidental. He himself was a footballer. He played in Los Angeles at University High School. He went on to play for both San Francisco State University and the Madrid Bears of the Spanish League.

But this wasn’t all. Coach Lindheim also served as an assistant coach at numerous teams, including the University of Nevada, Whittier College, El Camino College, West Los Angeles College, University High School and Venice High School.

In 2009, he was picked by Santa Monica College to bring their football team to success. This appointment marked the end of probation for the Santa Monica football team.

Coach Lindheim’s focus was not just on the sport. He was also concerned about the success of the team members in the classroom.

“With our academic support team, each of our players has a plan to matriculate from SMC to the next level,” he said. “We treat our players with respect, and we expect our players to go out and represent our program with class.”

With this approach, he was able to win multiple trophies with the Santa Monica College football team. Coach Leindheim led them to the Pacific Conference championship and a bid to the American Championship Bowl in one of the seasons.

The football coach also managed to bag an award. In 2011, He was named American Division Pacific Conference Coach of the Year.

Coach Lindheim went on to spend seven years at the helm of affairs as the football coach. During his last season in 2015, he attained another major feat with the team. He led a successful season without tasting defeat. This streak was the first for the team in 35 years.

In this same season, the college won the SCFA American Division Championship Bowl. At the end of the season, he announced his departure from Santa Monica College.

Although his time with the team was short-lived, his impact was significant. He showed the team the path to success in both the sport and life and guided them to both.

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