Marshall High head coach Jose Razo spent years being told no by the school he never left. Now his Barristers are 9-0.
Razo, 37, applied for the Marshall head coaching position in 2019 and again in 2022, according to the Los Angeles Times. Both times, the school turned him down. A Marshall grad who played linebacker there starting at age 15, Razo chose to stay on as an assistant rather than walk away.
When the job opened a third time in 2025, Razo told himself, "It's now or never." He finally got the email promoting him to head coach.
The LA Times reported Razo served 18 years as an assistant before the promotion. An earlier profile in the same paper put the figure at 17 years. Either way, the loyalty is hard to argue with.
Marshall rolled through Week 9 with a 54-14 win over Wilson, according to OC Register scores. The Barristers sit at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated's LA City Section rankings and will play for a Northern League championship Friday, Oct. 30.
The opponent: Eagle Rock, coached by Andy Moran.
Moran coached Razo at Marshall in 2005 and 2006. The LA Times described him as a mentor to Razo. Since leaving Marshall in 2012, Moran has never lost to the Barristers, according to the paper.
Razo recalled asking Moran what he should do after being rejected twice. Moran's advice, as reported by the Times: "They didn't give it to you because they already have you."
Senior quarterback Nathaniel Cadet, a 6-foot, 170-pound signal-caller with a 4.7 grade-point average, has been central to the unbeaten run. The Times reported that Cadet said Razo passes along insights and inspiration to players daily. Razo, for his part, has called Cadet one of the most talented quarterbacks in school history.
Marshall draws students from many small communities across the area. The football team's perfect season has pulled those communities together on Friday nights, the Times reported.
Kickoff against Eagle Rock is set for 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, according to the Week 10 schedule. A win gives Marshall its first 10-0 regular season under Razo.
