Former Raiders’ player Napoleon Kaufman to coach Oakland Bishop O’Dowd

What happens when the high school football coach can run a faster 40-yard time than the team’s starting running back?

That could be the dilemma for Oakland Bishop O’Dowd this fall after hiring former Lompoc High, Washington and Raiders running back Napoleon Kaufman as its head coach.

Kaufman, 40, has probably slowed a little bit since his playing days at Lompoc in the late 1980s, but he was as fast as they come. He’ll have two sons on the team.

Kaufman is the latest former athlete trying to make an impact in the coaching profession.

Former Mission Hills Alemany and Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen was named coach at Calabasas earlier this week. Former UCLA defensive tackle Brigham Harwell has joined Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart as an assistant coach.

St. Bonny seeks coach

John Muller, who served as the interim coach at Ventura St. Bonaventure this season, has decided not to seek the position. The school will begin a search for a new coach. Muller will remain the school’s athletic director.

City Section awards

Crenshaw quarterback Ajene Harris was named the City Section Division I player of the year in a vote by the coaches this week. Harris, a USC commit expected to play defense, led the Cougars to the Division I title.

San Fernando quarterback Cristian Solano, a Nevada commit, picked up the same honor in Division II. View Park linebacker Cameron Griffin, a UCLA commit, was named the Division III player of the year.

Dead period begins

A more than three-week dead period for college football recruiting begins on Monday. Recruits can’t make visits to campuses again until Jan. 16. Coaches can contact recruits via phone once a week or communicate via Facebook.

Dry weather?

The early forecast for next weekend’s CIF state championship bowl games at StubHub Center in Carson indicates no rain. That would be a welcome development, since the field will be grass instead of the all-weather surface used the last two years.

The Division IV and I games will be played Friday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Division III, II and Open Division games will be played Saturday at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Time Warner Cable will televise each game live.

[email protected]