Oak Park Seeks Football Coach to Replace Veres

Oak Park High is seeking a replacement for football Coach Ron Veres who resigned last week after a dispute with school administrators.

Veres clashed with administrators over the number of healthy players he could field for last Friday’s nonleague opener against Boron. The former coach claimed that he had only eight players, but 18 were in uniform for the game Friday. Under the leadership of Athletic Director Fred Yamano and a makeshift staff of nine assistants, the Eagles won, 13-12.

Yamano said that he will continue as acting coach until a permanent coach is hired.

“I just happened to fall into this,” he said. “I guess I’m the coach in charge, but I hate to say I’m the head coach. Once you say that, you’re labeled.”

The school is advertising the position through the Southern Section office, Yamano said. But finding a replacement soon, he added, is unlikely. “I don’t think we’ll get a lot of applicants at this time of year,” he said.

Meanwhile, the team’s roster has increased to 23 players. “The problem is just the opposite,” Yamano said Monday. “We’re trying to find uniforms for all of them.”