Long Beach Unified has announced the firing of 3 poly football coaches

A spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District announced Wednesday that it has completed an internal investigation into seven players who violated CIF Rule 202, which states all transfers must file accurate paperwork, and punished three football coaches involved in the transfers, including removing head coach Justin Utupo.

In a media release, the district said the police walk-on coach has been released and will not be allowed to coach in the district. An assistant coach who resigned has also been suspended from coaching. Another assistant was relieved of all coaching duties and transferred to become a campus staff assistant. The district said it concluded that “three coaches engaged in unethical conduct inconsistent with CIF eligibility rules.”

Utupo said he resigned after meeting with his players Wednesday morning and was not aware of the district’s announcement.

Utopo came over from Lakewood this season to be the head coach for a Long Beach Poly program that has won 20 CIF titles. After a 5-5 season, the school announced that it would no longer allow the team to be part of the South Division playoffs.

Going forward, the district said it will review all athletic programs in its district to ensure that “protocols, training and expectations are clearly understood and consistently implemented.” The district is also waiting to see if the southern section has any additional restrictions. Seven poly athletes are listed on the Southern Section transfer portal as having been denied eligibility for two years for violating Rule 202.