Harbor High welcomes first female varsity football coach in Santa Cruz County

23-year-old Tyanna Newman, the new assistant coach for the Harbor High Pirates, is the first female to coach varsity-level football in Santa Cruz County.

“I never really had an agenda to break through in women’s sports. I mean, I’m just a coach that happens to be a girl,” said Newman.

Newman played just about every sport growing up, but fell in love with football in her junior year of high school. She helped out with equipment for Boise State University’s football program before moving with her husband to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Newman’s husband played linebacker at Liberty University and Newman joined the team’s strength and conditioning squad, where she learned the ins and outs of football.

When asked how she feels about the reaction towards her appointment as Assistant Coach for Harbor High School Football, Newman said that she doesn’t have a problem with being known as the first female varsity football coach in the area, but that ultimately, she is just a coach: “If that’s what history’s going to know me as, that’s fine but I just like I said, I just happen to be a woman who loves coaching football.”

“When I hired her it wasn’t like ‘oh we gotta get a female coach here to make some noise.’ No, I’m looking for the best possible coaches at the best time. We want to have coaches come in here for the culture and they fit the program.” said James Gaynor, Head Coach of Harbor School Football.

“It was never a concern of ours that she was a female. We only cared that could bring value to our team and we believe she does,” added Hollis O’Brian, Athletic Director at Harbor High.

The Head Coach and Athletic Director aren’t the only ones looking forward to Newman joining the team, student athletes are also excited about their new Assistant Head Coach.

“She’s just gonna be our leader. On the field, off the field, she’s gonna be someone we can look up to…and like any other coach, we can look up to her,” said Johan Mendoza, a junior Running Back for the Pirates.

“She has aspirations….not only for her team this year, but for her coaching career,” added Diego Picazo, a senior Running Back at Harbor High.

And what are Newman’s aspirations for her future?

“I want to go to the NFL. You know the way I look at it is, shoot for the moon…cause even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”