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De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) had a bye last week but coach Justin Alumbaugh said he's never been busier.
Not so much preparing the Spartans — "I'm always swamped," he said — but bracing for the unleashing of the Bob Ladouceur bobblehead.
Sounds like a scary movie.
Actually, it's a fun promotion brainstormed by Alumbaugh and the Spartans' staff last spring to highlight the team's homecoming game while honoring their legendary coach who compiled a 399-25-3 record and seven national championships during his tenure from 1979 to 2012.
Lad, as he's known around campus, still coaches the team's line and running backs. Last month, he was selected No. 1 among the MaxPreps Top 50
high school football coaches of all-time.
A shipment of 1,000 bobbleheads of Ladouceur's likeness arrived last week and will be sold at Friday's homecoming game against Monte Vista (Danville). Alumbaugh said his phone has been "blowing up" with inquiries and requests since word got out in August.
An art student on campus this week made a giant Ladouceur bobblehead costume — "Epic," according to Alumbaugh — to wear at the game.
"It's been a lot of fun and a little crazy at the same time," Alumbaugh said. "People are really fired up about it. I think it's high school sports at its best, and at the same time a great tribute to Lad."
Ladouceur himself has been a mixture of surprised, chagrined, humored and honored. When he first got the prototype in August, he told Darren Sabedra of the
San Jose Mercury News: "It looked pretty good. Could be a lot worse. Everybody that's seen it said,' ‘Hey, that's a good job. It looks like you.'
"I'll be damned if they didn't follow through on it and make it happen."
Don't expect it to end. Besides great demands for more Ladouceur bobbleheads, expect soon to see prototypes of longtime DLS defensive coordinator Terry Eidson — as a garden gnome.
Alumbaugh, who at 69 wins, 6 losses and two state titles, has done a bang -up job replacing such a coaching legend. But even he admits with a big grin, "These bobbleheads might be my finest work."
Bob Ladouceur when he first received one of his very own bobblehead.
Photo courtesy of De La Salle
