Aguirre’s Legacy Lives On

Pali High Wrestlers Mourn the Death of their Coach but Compete in His Honor

Tears were flowing at practice last Thursday when Palisades High wrestlers were told that head coach Randy Aguirre had passed away the night before.

To many of his wrestlers the 30-year-old Aguirre was much more than a coach − he was a brother and a friend. So when asked if they still wanted to travel to Tustin High for the Asics So Cal Challenge on Friday and Saturday they were resolute about their decision to wrestle in Aguirre’s honor. They vowed never to quit because there was no quit in their coach.

“This is our homage to him,” Dolphins assistant coach Aldo Juliano said of Aguirre, who passed away shortly after midnight Thursday, Jan. 8 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, ending his nine-month battle with brain cancer. “We didn’t want to cancel, we wanted to come here, do well and have fun. He loved this sport, all these kids love it and most importantly they loved Randy, so this is our payback to him.”

Palisades finished 18th out of 63 teams at the two-day meet and three Dolphins − Brad Boorstin, Kenny Jones and Erik Miranda −  medaled by placing among the top eight in their respective weight classes.

“He showed me when you really want something  you have to work for it… it’s not given to you,” Jones said.

However, the weekend wasn’t about winning a trophy or individual achievement, it was about celebrating a man’s courage and undying dedication to the program he got off the mat four years ago.

“This is our first tournament without Randy being here,” said junior Kevin Rosen, who advanced to Saturday’s consolation rounds at 145 pounds. “We want to prove we can do it as a team, that he taught us well and that we can carry on without him.”

Aguirre’s younger brother Jonathan assisted Juliano last weekend and plans to continue helping at practices and meets for the rest of the season.

“I have so much respect for Randy,” Jonathan Aguirre said. “As a big brother he set the bar high. I’m not sure I’ll ever meet it but I’ll try.”

Aguirre wrestled at South Hills High in West Covina, Mt. San Antonio College (where he was the school’s first two-time Southern Conference champion) and then at San Francisco State. He was hired to start the Pali High wrestling program in 2011 and in just his third year the Dolphins finished fourth at the City Section finals and won the inaugural City dual championships last winter.

“[Athletic Director] John Achen and I did a lot of background, looking for the right person and Randy turned out to be everything we wanted,” Pali High assistant principal Russ Howard recalled. “He was a darn good P.E. teacher too.”

In May, Aguirre was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a grade IV brain tumor.

“I got a text from him out of the blue the Sunday before he went into surgery and it said ‘You’re a great kid, the hardest working kid I know,” Miranda said. “I wasn’t sure why he sent it until I found out a few days later what happened. I decided then and there to give up football and devote my senior year to wrestling. He really changed my life for the better”

Only days after completing six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, Aguirre attended a “Cure the Coach” fundraiser in August at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in Universal City to share hugs and handshakes with team members and their families. Another fundraiser was held in October. Aguirre returned to Pali High in the fall, but he checked back into the hospital during the Blackwatch Tournament at the end of December.

“For awhile we thought [the treatment] was working, but cancer is a tough battle and unfortunately we fell a little short in the end,” Jonathan Aguirre said. “He’s in a better place now.”

KTLA got word of the story and aired a segment about Aguirre on its nightly telecast last Friday, interviewing several Pali High wrestlers along with James Aguirre, Randy’s father, who joined the team at Tustin High, where a moment of silence was observed for his son.

“Through this I may have lost a son, but I’ve gained 14 other ones,” James Aguirre said. “He’s paved the way for them to become good young men just like Randy was.”

Pali High Principal Pam Magee sent a heartfelt email to the school community and urged parents to talk to their children about how to cope with the news.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you news of the passing of P.E. teacher and wrestling coach Randy Aguirre,” the statement read. “We are fortunate to have been blessed with such a dedicated and inspirational educator and coach. Randy began his teaching career at PCHS in 2011 and with great energy and commitment built a competitive squad of wrestlers. Amazingly, he took a fledgling program with little financial support and no permanent facility and within three years won the Coliseum League, regional title and the City duals.”

Students returned from winter break Monday and grief counselors have been on campus all week.

Craig Au, father of Pali High wrestler Matt Au (who won the Most Improved Award last year) posted a thoughtful message on the team’s Facebook page and several Pali High coaches expressed their deepest sympathies and appreciation for Aguirre.

“This was for Coach Aguirre,” Pali High girls basketball coach Torino Johnson said Thursday after his team’s victory at the Fairfax Tournament. “I was inspired by Randy. He was my friend and I dedicate this season to him. Hopefully we can win a championship in his memory.”

Juliano said he’ll take the reins for the rest of the season and that the legacy his friend started will continue.

“No quit − that’s what our team will be about from now on,” he said. “This program’s not going to stop. We’ve come too far. We’ve worked too hard to let it end. We’re ranked second in City right now.”