Carson Palmer created some championship memories when he was the quarterback at Santa Margarita High School.
He will try to create more as the school’s football coach.
Palmer has been hired as the head coach at Santa Margarita where Palmer was an All-Orange County player the 1996 and ‘97 seasons when he led the Eagles to back-to-back CIF Southern Section title. He went on to USC where he won the Heisman Trophy. Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and had a long pro football career.
Palmer replaces Anthony Rouzier who was placed on administrative leave in October following allegations of student misbehavior in the Santa Margarita locker room.
Santa Margarita, a coed Catholic high school in Rancho Santa Margarita, made the announcement Thursday (Dec. 12).
Palmer, who turns 45 later this month, won the Heisman Trophy at USC in 2002. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals as the first overall draft pick in the ‘03 NFL Draft. Palmer played for the Oakland Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals, finishing his pro football career with Arizona in 2017.
He was a voluntary assistant coach for Santa Margarita’s freshman football team this season. Palmer’s son Fletcher is a freshman quarterback in the Santa Margarita football program.
Defensive coordinator Steve Fifita was promoted to head coach when Rouzier was placed on administrative leave. Santa Margarita this season finished 5-7 overall and 1-4 in the Trinity League.
The Eagles were 23-21 with Rouzier as the head coach, including 3-2 before he was placed on leave. They went 2-5 under Fiftia.
The Eagles had some close Trinity League losses under Fifita, including 13-10 to Orange Lutheran and 35-33 to JSerra. They concluded the regular season with a 44-8 league win over Servite.
Santa Margarita beat Inglewood 59-26 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs before losing to Trinity League rival St. John Bosco 31-29 in the quarterfinals (Bosco beat the Eagles 13-0 in a league game).
Santa Margarita president Andy Sulick said of Palmer: “His football pedigree is unmatched. As an alum he understands the culture.”
Palmer was among three final candidates interviewed last week for the Santa Margarita football head coaching position.
“Carson felt he was called to this job,” Sulick said. “And as much success as Carson has had as a football player he’s also a great husband, father and man.”
Palmer’s head coach at Santa Margarita was Jim Hartigan who now is Santa Margarita’s vice principal in charge of athletics.
Rouzier coached the Eagles for five seasons.
Santa Margarita president Andy Sulick released this statement on Rouzier:
“Earlier this year, Coach Rouzier reported an incident to the administration that involved allegations of student misconduct in the locker room, and he was then placed on a leave of absence related to the incident. There has been confusion in the community that has led to some unintended misperceptions. His leave had nothing to do with any concerns by us that Coach Rouzier personally posed a threat to any of his players’ safety and wellbeing.
“Coach Rouzier worked to create an environment and culture of safety, respect, mentorship, and inclusivity in our football program. We thank Coach Rouzier for his contributions to the school and community.
“After five seasons as the head coach of the Santa Margarita Catholic High School football team, we and Coach Rouzier have parted ways as we both pursue new opportunities. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Palmer set 27 school records in his two seasons (1996 and ‘97) as Santa Margarita quarterback and was All-Orange County first team both seasons.
He led Santa Margarita to a 55-42 win over Tustin in the 1997 CIF Southern Section Division V championship game, one of the more memorable games in Orange County football history, at Cal State Fullerton. Palmer threw for 413 yards and five touchdowns. Tustin running back DeShaun Foster, now the coach at UCLA, rushed for 377 yards and six touchdowns on 33 carries.
It was Santa Margarita’s second straight CIF football championship. The Eagles shut out Newport Harbor 38-0 in the Division V final in ‘96.
Palmer was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.