Lemoore High School trustees gives thumbs up to new football coach Mitch Crossley

The Lemoore High School Board of Trustees approved Crossley’s hiring at its Thursday night meeting.

Crossley was scheduled to meet with his football players at about noon on Friday. He will also teach math at Lemoore High School.

Crossley will replace former coach Shannon Pulliam, who resigned as football coach last season following a “hazing” incident prior to the team’s Division II title game against Ridgeview High School.

Pulliam, during his four-year tenure with the Tigers, was highly successful, leading his teams to three West Yosemite League championships in four years. He amassed an impressive 35-13 record during his tenure. The Tigers also beat a Hanford team this past season 42-7 in the league finale. The Bullpups went on to win a Division III championship and a state title.

Pulliam will remain at Lemoore High School as a physical education teacher.

Crossley comes from a struggling program at Montgomery High School where he was an assistant coach. According to MaxPrep.com, the Montgomery Vikings were 2-8 last season and 2-5 in the North Bay League.

Crossley has worked at several high schools during a long career in coaching. The 57-year-old coach has been the head man at various schools for nine years and served as an assistant 16 years. He’s work at Montgomery High the past two years.

He has coached just about everything from golf to wrestling, to football.

He also played a football in college but excelled in baseball, earning All-American status while at college in Oregon.

He is looking forward to his tenure in Lemoore. “I like small towns, towns that care about football,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to work with kids. It’s nice to be at a school that has high expectations for football. That’s where I want to be.”

Crossley is married and has four kids, ages 28-19.