Bishop Montgomery Scandal: Ex-Coach Spills The Tea On Torrance Football Drama

Touchdown Turned Takedown: Bishop Montgomery’s Football Fallout

Yo, SoCal sports fans, buckle up - the drama at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance is hotter than a Santa Ana wind right now. A full-on football scandal has rocked this Catholic school, with the varsity coach getting the boot and the school president straight-up resigning this week. It’s the kind of messy tea we usually sip on the Hollywood red carpet, not on the sidelines of a high school field.

Ed Hodgkiss, the former head coach who put in 15 solid years with the Knights, sat down exclusively with NBC Los Angeles on Thursday to unpack the chaos. This isn’t just a game-time fumble - it’s a whole playbook of shady moves that’s got everyone from Torrance to Malibu talking.

From Retirement Dreams to Termination Drama

Hodgkiss was ready to hang up his whistle on his own terms, planning a chill retirement after Labor Day. But instead, he got a brutal surprise - a termination notice colder than a Venice Beach morning. 'I fell in love with this school,' he told NBC LA, his voice heavy with emotion. 'I wanted to give back, and yeah, you don’t remember every game, but every player sticks with you.'

'Man, getting fired like that was a gut punch - I gave everything to these kids and this school,' Hodgkiss shared, reflecting on the heartbreak of his abrupt exit.

According to Hodgkiss, he always kept his program tight, focusing on coaching up the players rather than chasing clout. But last December, things took a wild turn when he met with the now-former school president Patrick Lee and two other dudes tied to St. John Bosco, a straight-up football dynasty in SoCal. Their pitch? Turn Bishop Montgomery into the next big thing with a new coaching squad, a shiny stadium, and a roster stacked with top-tier talent.

Transfer Troubles and CIF Crackdown

Here’s where it gets sketchy, fam. Hodgkiss says these guys had big plans to bring in players from all over, claiming they ‘knew a lot of talent.’ Next thing you know, 24 transfers rolled into Bishop Montgomery’s varsity squad - way more than the usual four or five per season. That’s some serious roster glow-up, but it raised eyebrows faster than a celeb sighting on Rodeo Drive.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) wasn’t playing around - they ruled five of those 24 transfers ineligible. And just days after that smackdown, Bishop Montgomery dropped a bombshell letter, co-signed by Patrick Lee, announcing the suspension of the entire varsity football season. Oh, and Hodgkiss? He was out, informed with a 10-second phone call that basically said, ‘Sorry, bro, you’re done.’

Scapegoat or Sideline Setup?

Hodgkiss is still reeling from that call, and his attorney Darren Richie isn’t holding back either. Richie called the firing a ‘classic textbook example of being a scapegoat,’ arguing that Hodgkiss’s 14 years of clean coaching prove he wasn’t out here playing dirty. ‘If he wanted to game the system, he could’ve done it from year one to flex for the school - but he didn’t,’ Richie added, throwing major shade at the school’s decision.

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Schools Regional Superintendent, which handles PR for Bishop Montgomery, is staying tight-lipped about Lee’s resignation. They’re pulling the classic ‘we don’t comment on personnel matters’ card, leaving us all wondering what’s really going down behind closed doors in Torrance (a South Bay gem, for those not in the know, just a quick drive from LAX).

What’s Next for Bishop Montgomery?

As of Thursday, attempts to get a word from former president Patrick Lee went unanswered, so the full 411 on his exit remains a mystery. Was he pushed out, or did he bounce on his own? The school’s staying quieter than a Malibu beach at sunrise, and the community is left piecing together the fallout from this gridiron disaster.

For now, Hodgkiss is out of a job, the varsity season is toast, and Bishop Montgomery’s rep is taking hits harder than a linebacker on game day. Stick with us as we keep digging into this South Bay scandal - because in LA, the drama never stops, whether it’s on the field or off.