Live Oak football coach let go

First-year Live Oak High football coach Mike Ziegenmeyer was not asked back for a second season at the helm of the program, he said Friday.

"When I found out I wasn't going to be asked back, it broke my heart," Ziegenmeyer said.

He was informed of the decision during a meeting Jan. 7 with Live Oak Principal Mat Gulbrandsen, Ziegenmeyer said. At the meeting, they discussed the outcome of the football season and came to the conclusion that Ziegenmeyer's time with the Lions was finished.

"Here I am a nobody coach — I threw all time and effort into the program," Ziegenmeyer said. "And they said, 'You know what, we're not going to need you next year.'"

"I really wanted to come back next year. I'm really going to miss the kids," he said.

The decision, though surprising to Ziegenmeyer, was conveyed amicably and boiled down to a "difference in philosophies," he said.

"It's not like they said, 'You're fired, get out of here,'" Ziegenmeyer said. "I hope the best for them."

The Appeal-Democrat learned of the situation after school hours and was not able to reach Gulbrandsen.

Live Oak athletic director Matt Weinrich confirmed that Ziegenmeyer would not be retained but declined further comment regarding the circumstances of the dismissal.

"I think Mike is a great guy and a good coach and would be a plus to any program," Weinrich said, who added that he would be a reference for Ziegenmeyer.

In the recently completed season, the Lions finished third in the Sacramento Valley Conference (3-3) and compiled a 4-7 overall record. The team did reach the postseason where it fell 47-0 to conference rival Rio Vista in the opening round.

Ziegenmeyer inherited the team from longtime Lions coach Jim Arostegui, who stepped down after a 16-year tenure that included four Northern Section titles and eight section title-game appearances, including three straight trips during 2005-07.

Before coaching at Live Oak, Ziegenmeyer was an assistant coach at Sutter High and other Yuba-Sutter schools. He said he'll take a year off from coaching to spend more time with his wife, as the couple is expecting their first child in April, Ziegenmeyer said.

His hope is that he can return to being a coach with the freshman football team at Sutter.

And though he will no longer be calling the plays for the Lions, he still has high hopes for his former players, whom Ziegenmeyer believes will form a strong team this fall.

"I think you're going to see one (heck) of a program next year with those kids," he said.