St. Francis High School Athletics

Coach Appels

St. Francis’ Head Varsity Soccer Coach, Glen Appels, joined the Golden Knight family in 1988. After a league championship season as the JV coach (13-2-1), Coach Appels took over the varsity program the following year. During his 35 year varsity career, the program has won 10 league titles, three CIF Southern Section Championships, and a California State Regional Championship. 

Coach Appels has amassed over 500 wins at St. Francis H. S. and has been named CIF Coach of the Year three times, the NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year in 2001, the California Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2005, and the NSCAA State Coach of the Year in 2009. He was inducted into the St. Francis Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. 

Under Coach Appels’ guidance, dozens of Golden Knight soccer players have gone on to play college soccer, three have won NCAA championships (at Stanford and UCLA), and five have been taken in the MLS draft.

As a member of the school’s English Department, Coach Appels has taught at every grade level and currently teaches AP English Literature to seniors and AP English Language to juniors. He has degrees from U.C. Berkeley (B.A.), UCLA (M. Ed.), UC Irvine (M.A.) and Concordia University (MCAA). He received his US Soccer National A coach’s license in 1998.

In addition to his work at the school, Coach Appels has coached locally at almost every level of soccer: AYSO, YMCA, CV Soccer Club, Cal South ODP Program, and Occidental College. He has served as a clinician for the LA ’84 Foundation and has been a member of the CIF Soccer Coaches Advisory Board for over 30 years.