Press Enterprise FOOTBALL: Markham resigns from Pacific View Photo Gallery BY KYLE GLASER SAN BERNARDINO – Legendary football coach Don Markham resigned from his post at San Bernardino Pacific on Monday, citing an ongoing battle with prostate cancer. Markham, 74, won 312 career games and five CIF-Southern Section titles in his career. He was set to begin his second season at Pacific. “It’s just that I’ve got prostate cancer, and the medicine is making me dizzy and sick and I just feel like sleeping all the time,” Markham said. “I just thought, ‘I can’t keep doing this,’ and the doctor told me I shouldn’t be coaching so I resigned.” Markham was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago but was able to coach through it. Tests taken a few weeks ago, however, indicated the cancer is getting worse and more intensive treatment may be required. “I took a few tests and the numbers came back more serious,” he said. “I did radiation before and my numbers dropped and then they came back up. We changed medicines and this time it’s not going down, so I just have to back off. “I’m on oral treatments right now. The next step would be other pills and then it’s chemotherapy.” Mike Aragon will coach the Pirates this season in Markham’s place. Aragon, 38, was Pacific’s frosh-soph coach last year and was set to be a varsity assistant under Markham this season. “Don was a great mentor to me,” Aragon said. “He brought me in and took me under his wing and taught me a lot. I wish it was under a different circumstance, but we knew it was something that could happen and we were prepared for it. We (the team) have dedicated the season to Don.” The Pirates went 1-9 last season with their only win coming via forfeit. It was the first time in 18 years a Markham-coached team missed the playoffs. Markham informed the team Monday he was resigning. They gave him one final sendoff. “I talked to them for a little while and they accepted it fine,” he said. “I don’t know what it means but they gave me a standing ovation. I think they’ll do just fine.” If this is his last coaching stop, it would cap a long and distinguished career that included stops at L.A. Baptist, Colton, Riverside Ramona, La Puente Bishop Amat, Bandon, Ore., and of course, Bloomington, where he set what was then a national scoring record in 1994 (880 points) and won three CIF-SS championships in four years (1994, 1996 and 1997). Markham was a former member of the Los Angeles Police Department, and in 1969, he and his partner were among the first on the scene of the Manson family murders at the home of movie director Roman Polanski. Contact the writer: kglaser@pe
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 04:08:32 +0000
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