By Lookout Staff

November 18, 2011 -- After leading the Santa Monica College Corsairs to the Pacific Conference championship earlier this month, coach Gifford Lindheim has been named American Division Pacific Conference Coach of the Year.

SMC will face East Los Angeles College at the American Bowl game this Saturday at Corsair field after Lindheim steered the team to an 8-2 record overall and a 6-0 record in conference play. The game will start at 1 p.m.

SMC football coach Gifford Lindheim has been named American Division Pacific Conference Coach of the Year. The Corsairs play in a bowl game Saturday.

Lindheim took over as interim head coach in 2009 shortly after the team was put on probation for residency violations.

"I'm so proud of what we've been able to accomplish in a very short time in our football program," Lindheim said in a statement released Thusday. "I'm happy for the players that put their faith in what we're trying to build, and the assistant coaches who share their expertise and spend tireless hours for little money.

"I'm thankful for the strong administrative support," he added. "I'm proud to be able to add to the many successes, both academic and athletic, of our amazing college. The awards (Conference Champions and Coach of the Year) are organizational awards that reflect on all of our hard work.
That's what's so cool about it."

Lindheim held assistant coaching positions at the University of Nevada, Whittier College, El Camino College, West Los Angeles College, University High School and Venice High School, but SMC is his first head coaching position.

Lindheim says his coaching philosophy is to "combine firmness with Fairness" and to "cultivate academic as well as athletic success, character growth, a strong work ethic and team work."

"With our academic support team, each of our players has a plan to matriculate from SMC to the next level," he said. "We treat our players with respect, and we expect our players to go out and
represent our program with class."