Palomar College Football Stadium isn’t the only new development for the program this past year. Head Coach Joe Early and the football program added four new coaches during the offseason, adding depth and diversity to the staff.
“We’ve been short of coaches for a while now, and there were some positions kind of getting overlooked and not getting the individual attention that they needed, so we were able to bring these guys in,” Coach Early said. “They’re high quality, character guys.”
Palomar’s football program waited decades to have its own stadium to play in before its unveiling last fall. After a disappointing 4-6 record in the stadium’s inaugural season, the program looked to strengthen the team from within.
“They have college playing experience, and college coaching experience. They bring energy to practice. They’re young, and they can relate to the players,” Coach Early said.
The positions of focus for the new coaches are running backs, defensive ends, offensive line and wide receivers. Here’s a look at the new additions to the football team.
Noel “The Motivator” Phillips
Phillips was brought on to coach the running backs and he is also the team’s fitness instructor. Attitude, effort and passion are the words he used to describe his coaching philosophy.
Coach Phillips has worked with high schools across North County like Mission Hills, La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad and Cathedral Catholic and has already trained several players on this year’s Comets’ squad.
Phillips played at Palomar under Early, making his return to the program a full-circle moment. Phillips’ goal is to push his running backs to have the highest yards per carry after contact and set the standard of what running backs should be at the JUCO (Junior College) level.
“What they can expect from coach Noel is that ‘dog mentality.’ I believe we all have greatness in us, and my goal every day is to come out here and get these guys motivated, bring that energy, that effort, that attitude as a coach, and you’ll see it on game day,” Phillips said.
Ian Seau
Seau is making his Palomar debut as the defensive ends coach.
Oceanside native Ian Seau has played on all levels of football, he shined as a defensive end at the University of Nevada and later signed with the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League.
Following his playing career, Seau worked as a defensive coordinator and coach for Fallbrook, Temecula Valley and Rancho Christian high schools. He also served as a Marine Corps Community Services sports specialist.
Seau wants to relay his fast-paced, technical playing style to his players and lead the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference in sacks and tackles-for-loss this season. His goal is to get his players out and ready for the next level.
As a Polynesian-Samoan, Seau joins linebackers coach CJ Malauulu and defensive line coach Ryan Fiapai, further increasing Polynesian representation on the Comets’ coaching staff.
“I think the biggest thing is to get the Polynesian community back and excited about Palomar football, and overall, the entire community about Palomar football,” Seau said. “We could really turn not only Palomar football around, but get the entire North County pumped for not only this season, but every season coming up.”
Aron Gideon
Gideon brings years of experience to the offensive line and special teams coaching positions.
He played Division I football for the University of California Los Angeles under Terry Donahue, the program’s winningest coach, later working alongside Donahue. Gideon was also an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge and Saint Mary’s College.
At the high school level, Gideon has coached at numerous locations, including 13 years at Woodland Hills Chaminade and was coaching multiple positions when they won the 2013 state championship.
Gideon’s method as a coach is building an offensive line that can support a strong rushing game.
“Successful teams must run the ball,” Gideon told The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2022.
In addition to coaching at Palomar, Gideon is a high school teacher, and he uses his principles as an educator to imprint his coaching philosophy on his players. He believes that the greatest coaches have proven that they’re great teachers.
“It’s not really about Saturday, it’s about the journey to prepare for Saturday, and also the experiences that they have with their teammates,” Gideon said. “What I really hope for them besides the lessons themselves is the bonds that they make.”
Theo Chatman
Chatman joined Palomar College football in the spring as a new wide receiver coach.
He is the youngest coach on staff and recently played college football for Howard University.
“I feel like I have that edge where I can relate to my players while also developing them in a way where I can be hard on them but also uplift them,” Chatman said.
After graduating from Howard University, Chatman coached high school football for four years before being recruited by Palomar’s offensive coordinator Dan Early.
Chatman’s goal is to develop his receiving core so that they can excel at the next level, especially the returning players and those still discovering their path in football. The motto he lives by and instills in his players is PAAE (pronounced “pay”): Production, Alignment, Attention to detail and Execution.
“I just plan on bringing a lot of energy, and you know, taking the top off of these defenses this year,” Chatman said.
For Early and his new staff, the focus now is on channeling their collective experience into player development and stronger results on the field. Fans will get their first look at the revamped coaching team when the Comets open the season at 6 p.m. Aug. 30, at Palomar College.