Culver City Observer -

Culver City high school has been involved in some of the biggest sports stories in Southern California in the last two weeks. Last week former Lakers star Michael Cooper was hired to coach the boys' basketball team and this week former Centaur football player Donte Williams was named the interim coach of the USC football team.

Cooper, who is one of the best defensive players in NBA history will take over a team that won the Bay league last season. In his NBA career he made eight All-Defensive teams and played on five NBA championship teams with the showtime Lakers.

George Laase

Darius Poles out jumps everyone in the end zone, but his momentum carries him out of bounds. Not to worry, Poles had eleven other catches for 107 yards and one TD in the Centaurs 43-34 win versus Pasadena.

The 1978 third round draft choice of the Lakers, Cooper attended Pasadena high school, Pasadena City College and the University of New Mexico. Last season he coached at Chadwick high school in Palos Verdes.

Williams is the first Black football coach in USC history. For the last two years he was the associate head football coach and after head coach Clay Helton was fired last Monday, he was named the interim head coach.

Williams is one of the top recruiters in the nation and that's one of the reasons the Trojans hired him away from Oregon a few years ago. He played at Culver City in the late 1990's and after 14 years of coaching at the college level he is the head coach of one of the most prestigious football programs in the nation.