Coaches Named at Orange, El Modena

Former Orange High School football star Mark McMahon was named the Panthers’ football coach, and former El Modena basketball star Tim Tivenan was named the Vanguards’ basketball coach at an Orange Unified School District Board meeting Thursday night.

McMahon, a Times All-County defensive back who graduated from Orange in 1967, replaces S.K. Johnson, who resigned in March after four seasons. Tivenan, a two-time all-county selection who graduated in 1973, replaces Bill Ervin, who resigned in February after 18 years.

McMahon, 36, is entering a familiar position. He was the head football coach at Orange from 1977-79 but resigned after compiling a 7-21 record in three seasons. He has since been an assistant at Villa Park (1980, 1982-85) and Anaheim (1981).

McMahon helped Fullerton College win the community college national championship in 1967 and then started for two seasons at the University of Washington, where he led the Huskies in tackles both years.

He was an assistant at Lakeside High in Seattle for two years before returning to Southern California to become an assistant at Orange in 1974.

McMahon will take over a struggling Panther program that is 4-35-1 in the past four seasons. Orange was winless (0-10) in 1985.

He’s hoping the Panthers will fare better next year when they move out of the perennially tough Century League and into the new Pacific Coast League, which will include Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Trabuco Hills, Costa Mesa and Woodbridge.

“It’s obviously a good opportunity,” McMahon said. “It will be a fresh start all around.”

Tivenan, 31, will be replacing the coach he played for at El Modena. Under Ervin, he was a three-year varsity starter who helped the Vanguards to the 1972 CIF Southern Section 3-A championship game, where they lost to Camarillo in overtime, 73-71.

Tivenan went on to become a four-year starter at UC Irvine;he graduated in 1977. He spent a year as an assistant at El Modena and then five years as a teacher and coach at McPherson Junior High in Orange.

He has been a varsity assistant and junior varsity coach at Orange for the past three years.

Ervin guided the Vanguards to a 221-219 record and 10 playoff appearances in his 18 seasons. Tivenan expects the transition to be a smooth one.

“They’ve always had good athletes there, and their history is very good,” Tivenan said. “Having been in the (Century) league and in touch with the players, I have a good feel for the school and what has happened there.”