Oscar McBride balked when initially offered to take over the Murrieta Mesa football program. McBride already had been tapped to be the new coach at Notre Dame High School in Riverside when that phone call came from Murrieta Mesa athletic director John Broussard. McBride’s hesitation came from not wanting to disappoint players at Notre Dame. McBride was still on the fence after talking with his wife, Mary, who then recommended he reach out to legendary football coach Lou Holtz for guidance and advice. McBride was a tight end under Holtz’s leadership at the University of Notre Dame (1991-94). “My wife, as only she can say, told me I’d be an idiot not to take this job,” McBride said. “And, of course, coach sided with her.” McBride and Murrieta Mesa football have been a match made in heaven. McBride took over a program that went 0-9 the season before his arrival. The Rams have claimed two Big West Conference-South Division titles in McBride’s three seasons in charge. Murrieta Mesa made history this season, winning the CIF Southern Section Division 6 championship for the program’s first title. And for those reasons, McBride has been selected the IE Varsity Football Coach of the Year for the 2024 season. “It has been one of the best decisions of my life,” McBride said about taking the Mesa job. “The community has been wonderful, and the players were so hungry for success. … It has been an honor and a pleasure to help lead these young men on this path.” Head Coach Oscar McBride of Murrieta Mesa, center, raises the championship plaque after defeating Glendora during a CIF-SS Division 6 football championship game at Citrus College in Glendora on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer) McBride played a few seasons in the National Football League and then got his coaching career started. He cut his teeth as an assistant coach at a handful of elite programs in Southern California: JSerra, Capistrano Valley, Servite, and Orange Lutheran. Murrieta Mesa’s varsity football program posted just two winning seasons from its inception in 2009 until McBride arrived in 2022. “A lot of people thought I was crazy to take the job,” McBride said. “You already have a lot of established programs in the city and surrounding areas, they told me. I saw something different. I saw kids who wanted to work hard and change the culture here.” There were immediate signs of growth, as Murrieta Mesa won a share of the Big West Conference-South Division title in 2022. The following season, the Rams advanced to the semifinal round of the Southern Section playoffs for just the second time. McBride had high expectations entering the 2024 season, but the Rams got off to a lackluster start. “I had my doubts early on, so we called our leadership council together during the bye week,” McBride said. “We talked about what needed to be done to get things turned in the right direction. In the end, it came down to having fun and us just being us.” Related Articles High School Sports | All-Inland Football: Second-team selections for offense, defense, special teams and utility High School Sports | All-Inland Football: Centennial’s Jonathan McKinley II is the IE Varsity Defensive Player of the Year High School Sports | All-Inland Football: Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze is the IE Varsity Offensive Player of the Year High School Sports | Classic at Damien boys basketball tournament headlines upcoming holiday events High School Sports | Inland girls athlete of the week: Alaysha Mills, Moreno Valley Murrieta Mesa rattled off nine consecutive wins after the bye week and finished the season with a program-record 10 victories. “It’s great to see our kids walk around with their Mesa gear and have pride,” McBride said. “We’ve long been the little brother in Murrieta, but we’re starting to create our own success. This team cemented their place in Mesa history, and I’m proud of them.”