Riding the coat tails of four disappointing seasons under former head coach Fred Fimbres, PCC is looking to defensive guru Thom Kaumeyer to turn the ship around in 2016.
Expectations are high. Kaumeyer’s hiring as the head coach was described as “a move that is expected to change the fortunes of the Pasadena City College football program” in a press release sent out by Sports Information Specialist Robert Lewis.
Despite his recruiting process being cut short due to the late hire, Kaumeyer is optimistic about the 2015 season.
“I do believe our guys will be prepared,” said Kaumeyer. “We have an opportunity to win each game, no doubt.”
The only two statistical categories that the Lancers finished in the top half of their conference in were turnovers (20th) and penalties (18th). To improve these weak spots, Kaumeyer will stress fundamentals.
“We will probably face teams more talented than us, but if we’re disciplined we will find ourselves with a chance to win in the fourth [quarter],” he said. “Let’s not beat ourselves.”
Kaumeyer brings quite an extensive and impressive resume to the table. At 48 years of age, he already has more than 20 years of coaching experience at the NFL, NCAA, and community college levels, including serving as an assistant for three national championships at Palomar College.
As a player, he was a standout safety at Palomar and later an All-Pac 10 selection at the University of Oregon. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1989, and played with the Seattle Seahawks from 1989 to 1992.
Kaumeyer credits a great deal of his coaching success to playing experience and coaching alongside great coaches such as Tom Craft at both Palomar and San Diego State.
The main focus of summer workouts will be attention to detail, he said.
“If we can learn all the schemes in the summer, we can put everything together in the fall,” Kaumeyer said.
Kaumeyer was hired to replace Fred Fimbres, who was let go in December of 2014 after racking up a total of just nine wins compared to 31 losses in his four years with the Lancers.
“I wish it had turned out better,” Fimbres said in an interview with the Pasadena Star-News. “It’s not to say we didn’t make a great effort. But these things happen in this profession. You keep score and scores matter.”
Kaumeyer gets his first crack at lighting up the scoreboard on September 5 when the Lancers hit the road to take on El Camino College.
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