TOP 10 STORIES OF THE YEAR : Welch Ended Era With Retirement

Ending a career marked by unparalleled success but continuous turbulence, Harry Welch resigned as Canyon High football coach on Jan. 3.

“I had thought about it for years, because I spend 12 months of every year planning and working on football,� Welch said. “It has been dominating my life.�

Welch had been dominating the Valley prep circuit, however. In 12 seasons, he posted a 120-31-2 record and led the Cowboys to three consecutive Southern Section championships in the 1980s. But after 27 seasons, Welch retired from coaching, citing health concerns.

Welch transformed a moribund Canyon program into a perennial winner, but never strayed far from controversy. He forged a 46-game winning streak in the mid-1980s, engendered fierce player loyalty, created impossibly high expectations among Canyon followers and made “Cowboy football� an institution in Canyon Country.

But he also engaged in a two-year battle with the Southern Section stemming from charges that Canyon conducted an off-season practice in violation of section rules. Welch faced a one-year suspension from coaching, but after numerous court appearances, he emerged victorious. He not only retained his job and avoided penalties for his program, he won a monetary judgment against the section.

Welch, who continues to teach English at Canyon, has made no moves toward returning, but he said he has a desire to coach Canyon once again.