History of SBCC Football
The football program at Santa Barbara City College began in 1955 under the leadership of Bud Revis, the athletic department co-founder. The early years of SBCC football did not see much success until 1959, when Chuck Rheinschmidt took the helm. In the following six years under Rheinschmidt, the Vaqueros won two South Central championships and were awarded berths to the 1961 Sequoia Bowl and the 1964 Lions Bowl. Following short stints by Don Turner and Walt Anderson, Bob Dinaberg was hired in 1969 to lead the Vaqueros into the next decade of SBCC football.
It didn't take Coach Dinaberg and his staff long to make the dramatic swing in SBCC's fortune. Coach Dinaberg was confident SBCC could field winning teams and do it with a base of players from the local high schools. In 1969 the Vaqueros not only posted a winning record (7-3), but they won the WSC championship in dramatic fashion with a come-from -behind 18-17 victory over nationally ranked Ventura College. The game was played before 9,000 fans in one of the greatest games ever played at La Playa Stadium. This earned the Vaqueros a berth in the 1969 Junior College Playoffs. As it turned out, the 1969 season was the springboard to the Vaqueros Golden Decade of Football in the 1970s.
Under Coach Dinaberg's leadership, the decade of the 1970s saw the SBCC Vaqueros rise to the top of the ranks among JC teams in the state and nation. Along with its beautiful location, the recognition of the football program made SBCC the envy of programs and coaches around the country. Coming off their championship season of '69, the Vaqueros went on to dominate the WSC. SBCC football teams won or tied for the WSC title six times in the decade. They opened the decade by winning consecutive conference titles in 1970, 1971 and then another in 1973. Other conference championships were won in 1975,1976 and 1979. The 1971 and 1979 Vaquero teams were a perfect 6-0 in WSC play and twice in the 70's the Vaqueros posted near perfect seasons. The 1972 team just missed the school's first undefeated season in a tight 27-21 loss to West LA College and finished 9-1. In 1975, SBCC also went 9-1 with the only loss coming to Canyons by a 30-14 count. The Vaqueros gained berths to the playoffs in 1970 and '71, and played in the 1976 and '79 Mission Bowls. This was in an era of only the conference champion being eligible for post-season play. Overall the Vaqueros compiled a fantastic 78-23-2 record (76% winning percentage) in the 1970s. Their conference record was an even more impressive 57-13-2, a winning percentage of 78%.
The success of the football program under Coach Dinaberg carried over into the decade of the '80s as well. In 1982 and 1983 the Vaqueros were again WSC champions and played in the Mission Bowl following both seasons. After Coach Dinaberg's retirement from football in 1986, the Vaqueros were guided by former Vaquero star Rick Cook. Coach Cook closed out the '80s by leading the 1989 Vaqueros to a berth in the Western State Conference Bowl.
The 1990s started with the hiring of Dave Baldwin. In Coach Baldwin's second season as head coach, the Vaqueros again rose to the top, finishing first in the WSC and were invited to the prestigious 1991 Potato Bowl. In 1992, former Vaquero quarterback Chuck Melendez succeeded Coach Baldwin. Coach Melendez guided the Vaqueros to the prestigious Holiday Inn Bowl in 1996, followed by a berth in the 1997 Western State Conference Bowl.
The new millennium started with the hiring of veteran Vaquero coach Carmen DiPoalo in 2001. Coach DiPoalo is a pillar of the Vaquero football success story. The one common thread throughout the decade of football success at SBCC is Coach DiPoalo. Having served as the Vaqueros' defensive coordinator through most of the previous 30 years, Coach DiPoalo is familiar with the foundations of the Vaqueros' tradition of excellence and is uniquely qualified by his experience to lead the Vaqueros into the new millennium.
In 2003, a new era of Santa Barbara City College Football began with the announcement of Reggie Bolton as head coach. Coach
Bolton, a former linebacker and defensive coordinator at Humboldt State, went 11-29 in four seasons.
In the summer of 2007, former SBCC quarterback and Santa Barbara High coach Craig Moropoulos was elevated to head coach. Moropoulos,
who guided the Vaqueros to a WSC championship in 1979 as their quarterback, joined SBCC's staff in 2006 as the offensive coordinator.
His extensive NCAA Div. 1 resume includes stops at Arizona, Texas A&M, San Jose State, Bucknell and Boise State.
In 2008, the Vaqueros left the Western State Confernece and joined the Southern California Football Association (SCFA), a
newly formed organization that features all 37 Southern Cal schools. SBCC is a member of the American Pacific Conference.
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