Concord, Calif., (August 16, 2023) - De La Salle High School today announced that it has named record-breaking football coach, Bob Ladouceur, as well as his former defensive coach, Terry Eidson, as part of its De La Salle Athletic Hall of Fame for the class of 2023. The two veteran coaches and former De La Salle educators join four talented Spartan alumni and two De La Salle sports teams.
This year’s De La Salle Athletics Hall of Fame features individuals Kristian Ipsen ’11 (diving), Lincoln Gunn ’06 (basketball), Johnny De Los Reyes ’11 (golf), and Mawuko Tugbenyoh ’96 (football and track), and the 1996 Football Team and 1998 Volleyball Team. As part of the nomination process, each honoree is recognized not only for their athletic achievements, but also for their outstanding academic, and professional accolades, as well as their community involvement.
“The De La Salle name rose to prominence in the athletic world precisely because of what Bob Ladouceur was able to achieve,” said Leo Lopoz, Vice President for Athletics at De La Salle. “Yet he gave our school so much more than a national, and still standing, record-winning streak. He was able to connect with our students in a deep way that harnessed their inner strength and fearlessness and turned it into a brotherhood that lives on at our school to this day. De La Salle’s continued dominance in high school sports is attributable to the foundation that he laid.”
The class of 2023 will be officially welcomed into De La Salle’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 1 at 3 pm, in the school’s Hofmann Student Center. The event will be open to the public and registration will be online through the De La Salle Athletic Hall of Fame web page.
For more information about De La Salle, please visit www.dlshs.org.
About the Inductees:
Kristian Ipsen ’11 was a four-year varsity diver and four-time North Coast Section (NCS) individual champion (2007-10) and still holds the NCS record for points. In 2010, Kristian was named De La Salle Athlete of the Year. That same year he also earned a scholarship to Stanford University, where he competed at the collegiate level and won three NCAA championships. During his time at Stanford, Kristian was an eight-time PAC-12 champion and remains the record holder for PAC-12 in points. A highly decorated junior diver, Kristian won 16 junior national championships, 15 senior national championships, two junior world championships, and two senior world silver medals.
As a member of the United States National Team, Kristian represented his country around the world in 2006, as well as from 2008 until 2016. He earned a silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, a bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics (in the 3-meter Synchronized Diving event), and a bronze medal in the 2016 FINA World Aquatics Championships. Today, Kristian volunteers his time coaching diving at Southern Methodist University. He currently resides in Texas with his wife and is the Director of Business Development at Medallion.
Lincoln Gunn ’06 was a two-year varsity basketball letterman and De La Salle’s basketball varsity team captain in 2006. Known for his attention to detail and work ethic, Lincoln broke the all-time scoring record at De La Salle and also holds the school record in free throw percentage made in a single season. In his senior year, Lincoln earned all-league, Contra Costa Times, and 1st Team all-state honors. He also led his team to a State Championship and was named De La Salle Athlete of the Year in 2006.
After De La Salle, Lincoln continued his academic and athletic career at Princeton University where he became a two-year starter for the Tigers. Lincoln has been a long-time supporter of De La Salle’s athletics programs and has been a resource for the school’s basketball staff. He currently resides in Oakland, CA with his wife and daughter and is the Vice President of Partnerships at Fandom, Inc.
Johnny De Los Reyes ’11 was a three-year varsity golfer at De La Salle, earning three 1st Team All-East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) honors. In 2009, he was named the Contra Costa Times Golfer of the Year. Following high school, Johnny went on to play golf for Saint Mary’s College where he finished his collegiate career with the lowest scoring average in the school’s history. During his time at Saint Mary’s, he led the Gaels to the West Coast Conference Championship (2016). Johnny was also the WCC Player of the Year, and team MVP, in 2015, and was a three-time all-WCC selection.
Today, Johnny continues to compete around the country and internationally. He holds the course record at Oakdale Country Club (62) and is currently teaching and coaching youth and adult golfers at Spring Creek Country Club in Ripon, CA.
Mawuko Tugbenyoh ’96 was a three-year varsity football player and an All-East Bay 1st Team selection in 1995. Known as one the most dominant defensive players in school history, he also lent his skills to the track team competing in relays. During his time at De La Salle Mawuko led both his football and track teams to two NCS Championships.
In his senior year, Mawuko earned a scholarship to UC Berkeley, where he went on to represent the Bears for four seasons. After college, he played professionally in the NFL Europe from 2002 to 2003 and in the Canadian Football League from 2004 to 2005. Mawuko returned to De La Salle to coach football from 2010 to 2020, during which time he had a huge impact on young Spartans.
Today, Mawuko is the Program Director at the Community Youth Center, a non-profit in Concord, CA where after-school athletics and education programs are made available to children from all walks of life. He resides in Concord with his wife and children.
Terry Eidson, Coach (Football, Baseball, and Golf) has worn many hats at De La Salle since he began teaching Religious Studies 42 years ago. He has been the Director of Student Activities, the face of Campus Ministry, the Assistant Dean of Students, the head of the Religious Studies Department, and De La Salle’s Athletic Director. While he is mostly known for the football games that his teams won along the way, Terry has also coached countless Spartans in baseball and golf.
Terry’s impact on high school athletics is so prolific he has amassed awards like Aflac Assistant Coach of the Year (2002), NCS Athletic Director of the Year (2003), De La Salle Coach of the Year (1984, 1992), NCS Honor Golf Coach (2019), and CIF Coach of the Year (2020). However, if you ask him, he might say his greatest honor was being named Distinguished Lasallian Educator of the Year in 2022 by the District of New Orleans San Francisco.
It was never a matter of if Terry would be inducted to the De La Salle Athletic Hall of Fame, the question was when and for which sport?
Over four decades, Terry has spearheaded several philanthropy initiatives at De La Salle, including 20 years with the school’s annual Toy Drive. Today, he works with students in De La Salle’s Bishop Cummins Scholarship program, which is designed to support students and families from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, including first-generation college-bound students.
Bob Ladouceur, Coach (Football). During his 34 years at De La Salle High School, Bob Ladouceur established himself as one of the most successful high school coaches in the country and he still holds the record for the highest number of victories in California history (399-25-3). This includes 28 NCS Championships, 19 California State Championships, and the longest consecutive game-winning streak (151) in the history of U.S. high school football. While under Bob’s direction, USA Today voted De La Salle the number one football team in the nation on five different occasions.
Nationally recognized, Bob has been named National High School Coach of the Year by USA Today three times. He was also the subject of two books and a Sony Pictures movie. However, weighty accolades began rolling in as early as 1995, when he became the NFL’s first Don Shula High School Coach of the Year. Yet his most prestigious honor (to date) was when he was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame in 2001. Most recently, Bob was part of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014, alongside baseball Hall of Fame coach, Tony LaRussa.
All that said, Bob’s legacy runs much deeper than wins, championships, streaks, and awards. Beyond superb play-calling and keen attention to detail, “Coach Lad” tapped into a teenager’s inner strength and fearlessness and helped create a brotherhood. He was just as impactful in the classroom teaching Religious Studies to thousands of students, where he ingrained in them what it looks like to be a man of faith. He taught kids to be accountable to one another and selfless for a greater cause. Bob’s coaching legacy can be seen across the high school football landscape. He has coached more than 80 athletes who went on to receive athletic scholarships at top universities and colleges across the country, with many continuing on to professional careers in the National Football League (NFL), including: Doug Brien ‘89 (New York Jets, Cal), Aaron Taylor ‘90 (Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, University of Notre Dame), Amani Toomer ’92 (NY Giants, Michigan), Dave Loverne ‘94 (Detroit Lions, San Jose State), Demetrius Williams ‘01 (Baltimore Ravens, Oregon), Maurice Jones-Drew ‘03 (Jacksonville Jaguars, UCLA), Derek Landri (Jacksonville Jaguars, Notre Dame), Matt Gutierrez (Kansas City Chiefs, Michigan) and T.J. Ward (Cleveland Browns, Oregon). He has also inspired countless alumni to become coaches and leaders of young men.
Bob retired as De La Salle’s Head Football Coach after the 2012 season. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters from his alma mater, San Jose University, for distinguishing himself through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. He currently lives in San Ramon, CA with his wife.
The 1996 Football Team was one of the most dominant teams in school history. Going undefeated (12-0) and winning the NCS title was just the tip of the iceberg. In 1996, this Spartan team shut out seven opponents, allowing an average of just 4.4 points a game. The team’s defense even out-scored opposing offenses. One of the many highlights was defeating highly-ranked Rancho Buena Vista High School on De La Salle’s first trip to Southern California. The Spartans then defeated Pittsburg High School in the NCS 4A Championship game to cap off a perfect 12-0 season.
The 1998 Volleyball Team only had five players who returned from the previous year’s roster. Yet, under the tutelage of new head coach, Tea Hieta, the team went on to win the first of five straight NCS championships. The 1998 team was characterized by its camaraderie, competitiveness, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Captains Dom Uchikura and Sly Yeoman pushed their peers to be better people and teammates and helped set a positive culture. While it was a highly competitive season, all the pieces fell into place at the right time and they swept through the NCS Playoffs to win the championship match against Northgate.
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