There were times last season when Live Oak High football coach
Jon Michael Porras would watch game film and notice himself sitting
on the sideline or taking a knee during timeouts to alleviate
chronic soreness in his back and neck.
MORGAN HILL — There were times last season when Live Oak High football coach Jon Michael Porras would watch game film and notice himself sitting on the sideline or taking a knee during timeouts to alleviate chronic soreness in his back and neck.
It was the only way he could be comfortable.
“I’d see that and be thinking, ‘Man, this is crazy,'” Porras said. “‘I love coaching, and I love the kids. But I can’t keep doing this.'”
Porras, 31, who in March was admitted to an emergency room because of severe pain, announced Tuesday he has stepped down after four seasons with his alma mater. He guided the Acorns to a 21-24 record, three Central Coast Section playoffs and the 2007 Medium School Division final.
A father of three, Porras consulted with his family, pastors and other coaches before deciding it is best to focus on his health. He is scheduled for surgery around the time Live Oak begins spring camp May 16.
“There’s no way I can take on the full responsibilities of a coach right now,” Porras said. “This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do because I love football. It’s something that’s ingrained in me. But with the 90-hour work weeks (during the season) and doing rehab and work, it’s just not possible at this time.”
Porras has a long history of back and neck problems stemming from a near-fatal car accident he was involved in while in high school, plus his time as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army.
“I have a lot of things in my neck that are messed up,” Porras said, citing a disc slipping into the spine, a narrowing spinal column, bone spurs and arthritis. “Then there’s my lower back. There’s nothing I can do but go through lots of rehab. (Doctors) said it could help with my shoulder, neck and arm pain. It’s just pain radiating all around me.”
That was magnified during football season.
“Obviously, I can’t sit down or relax at games and practice,” Porras said. “I was trying to push through it. I’m stubborn that way … this was for the wrong reasons.
“It’s a little embarrassing when you have to step down because you’re not healthy, but that’s a stupid reason not to.”
Porras’ resignation stunned his peers.
“I was shocked, definitely,” said Scott Matthews, 10-year Live Oak running backs coach. “Two weeks ago, we were putting touches together on the offense. Now we’re back to square one.”
Sobrato coach Nick Borello added: “I thought Jon Michael was talking about someone else when he told me. He has the issues with his health, and it’s something he’s got to get taken care of, no question.
“I will definitely miss being across the field from him. He’s a great guy on and off the field. Win or lose, he always does it with class.”
Santa Teresa coach Nick Alfano has grown close to Porras during the past four years while living in Morgan Hill. The Saints have played in the Mount Hamilton Division with Live Oak since 2009.
Three of Porras’ assistants – Mike Gemo, Richard Nelson and Jeff Layne – coached under Alfano at Santa Teresa.
“I was surprised he’s stepping down even with the surgery he needs,” Alfano said. “I thought he might be able to come back and have an assistant handle the offseason stuff. I’m sad because we have a good rivalry as friends.”
A dedicated offensive mind, Porras joined the Live Oak program in 2004 as an assistant coach under Rick Booth. Porras took over for the 2007 season and guided the Acorns to their first playoff win since 2001 and their first trip to a CCS title game in almost two decades. Live Oak lost 54-19 to Archbishop Riordan in the Medium School championship.
“We had all the confidence in the world because of how well that team meshed and how well (Porras) coached us,” said former quarterback Jeff Roberts, who graduated in 2009. “He was a great coach, very enthusiastic and definitely football-smart. He helped me progress as a football player and as a man.”
Porras’ career was not free of controversy. Disgruntled parents of players voiced complaints during the 2009 season when the offense struggled early on, and the Acorns suffered their only loss, 27-6, to crosstown rival Sobrato. Live Oak, one of the smallest schools in the 24-member Blossom Valley Athletic League, survived a grueling conference schedule to make the Division III sectional, though, and nearly beat top seed Terra Nova in the first round.
The Acorns reached the playoffs again last year, advancing from a Mount Hamilton Division that produced the fourth seed, Oak Grove, in the Open Division tournament, the No. 1 and 2 seeds, Piedmont Hills and Santa Teresa, at Division I and the third seed, Leland, in Division II. Piedmont Hills captured the Division I crown.
“Jon Michael’s kids might not be the biggest guys or the most talented,” Alfano said. “But they are always going to be prepared, and they’re always going to hit hard and play to the whistle.”
Some of those players anxiously await the start of spring camp.
“I’m kind of bummed,” junior wide receiver/linebacker Austin Carvalho said. “It’s hard to start over with a new coach and have a good season. We want someone who knows the program because, as a senior, I have high expectations for us.”
Potential replacements for Porras could include several of his assistants. Live Oak athletic director Mark Cummins said he and his staff want to “look internally first” for applicants starting in two weeks.
The coaching job will likely not come with a teaching position.
“That could be a difficult hurdle for us, but we’re going to look for the best candidate to move our great football tradition forward,” Cummins said. “Jon Michael did a great job for us, and, at this point, we would welcome him back in the future, but we have to move forward. We want to make sure he’s OK with himself first.”
Porras did not rule out a return to the sideline should his health improve, but he plans to spend the next couple years continuing to teach U.S. history at Live Oak High School and following the Acorns.
“I’m hoping it’s temporary,” Porras said. “But I’ve got to get this taken care of right now because I’m killing myself.”
