Murrieta Mesa High School, yes, is one of the newest of the schools in the area, but it does not lack in the arena of accolades when it comes to athletics. In fact, the spring of 2021 was one of the most highly regarded years ever for the Rams, who have had their fair share of difficulties over the years. Last year the Rams won a Southwestern League title in baseball, softball, lacrosse and girls’ basketball, just to name a few. They have countless CIF Track and Field titles, a CIF baseball title, a CIF softball title and more, which keeps their legacy hall filled to the brim with student athletes and their accolades.
Though successful football campaigns have not always been something the school is known for, they have not lacked when it comes to heart and determination and have even made three post season appearances over the past 11 years.
With the recent resignation of Darrel Turner, who got the program to the post season those three times, much can be said about his remarkable career as a high school and college coach, as well as a college player. Murrieta Mesa Athletic Director, John Broussard, knew he had some big shoes to fill in the search for his replacement.
Turner came to Murrieta Mesa in 2016, by means of Vista Murrieta High School, where he helped coach the Broncos to three consecutive post seasons. There had not been much of a bright spot athletically for Murrieta Mesa, up till 2016, Broussard’s first year, when the baseball team made a bunch of noise winning a CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship, as well as a Southwestern League title. No sport up to that point had much success under the previous Athletic administration, but they also were facing being the new kids on the block, and underdogs for their first few years, which is nothing uncommon for brand-new schools.
Many of the coaches that were brought in around that time by Broussard, including myself, knew the culture needed to change. A winning mentality needed to be secured, along with a positive mindset from their student athletes and that still holds true to this day. Turner got the Rams into the playoffs from 2016-2018 but had not had much success since. This past season Murrieta Mesa was winless, and Turner knew it would be best to hand the program over to someone new.
So, this next season the administration knows they need to be bringing in some heavy guns when it comes to the hiring of their new football coach. That new coach is former NFL receiver, Oscar McBride, who played for the Arizona Cardinals.
McBride’s background in coaching has led him all over the state of California including JSerra (Varsity OL/JV OC), Capo Valley (Varsity WR/DL), Tesoro (Varsity OC/Asst. HC), Servite (Varsity OC/Asst. HC), Orange Lutheran (Frosh HC/Varsity OC/Asst. HC) and Notre Dame Riverside (Associate HC). Add that to playing football professionally, as well as collegiately for the University of Notre Dame, and you have yourself someone that should easily be able to turn any program around.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Coach McBride to our family and community,” newly appointed Murrieta Mesa Principal Scott Richards said. “His vast football experiences, from coaching high school ball, playing at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz, and successfully making it to the NFL, will be an asset to our young students playing the sport that they love. Coach McBride believes in teaching the whole individual through trust, love and commitment. His leadership, organization, and vision will look to make an immediate impact in the culture of Murrieta Mesa.”
McBride said he has known Broussard for quite some time and that they have always had tremendous respect for each other.
“I’ve always believed Murrieta Mesa has the potential to be one of the best football programs in Southern California,” McBride said. “When you have great families and talented players, you have a great community… and that’s what Mesa is. I’m truly humbled to how much Mr. Broussard believes in me as a coach and leader of young people.”
McBride and his wife Mary, who also attended University of Notre Dame and Ohio State Law, have five children ranging in age from 18 to 27. In fact, Oscar’s youngest son Brendan, who is 18, is currently a senior at Orange Lutheran High School. All of their older children, Austin, 27 (Notre Dame Alum), Alexa, 26 (TCU Alum), Blake, 25 (CSU San Bernardino Alum), and Riley, 23 (Wright State Alum, currently attending University of Notre Dame Law), have either graduated from college, or are currently attending and paving their own successful ways.
“As we bring in Oscar, I can’t help but really cherish what Coach Turner did for us as well,” Broussard said.” We weren’t able to reach the post season prior to Coach Turner’s arrival and under his leadership we had some unbelievable post season games with some of our players still playing big time college football with hopes of making it to Sunday. As a community we are grateful for his dedication to Ram Nation.”
During the search for a new head coach, Broussard mentioned many things when considering candidates for the position.
“I think part of that consideration is what role do we need filled right now,” he said. “Not 5 seasons from now. Not 5 seasons ago. But right now. Having said that, it feels like who Coach McBride is as a person and the skill set that he brings is custom made for this season, this era in Mesa Athletics and Mesa in general. The excellence he brings to the game of football speaks for itself. But his development and training of leaders, that is where I became aware of who he was when I attended a conference and he was the keynote speaker, speaking on leadership development. There has not been a more crucial time to teach our young people that than this mid- or post-COVID era. So, I feel we are extremely fortunate to have him (Oscar) on our side.”
The 2022 high school football season is slated to begin in September of this year and the future for Murrieta Mesa is looking bright with a new coach ready to take the reins.
“Under Mr. Richards’ and Mr. Broussard’s leadership, the future of Mesa Football is extremely bright,” McBride added. “I’m really excited to get started and be a part of this community.”
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
