One of the top high school coaches in the state of California recently decided to step away after building a consistent winner to take over a complete rebuild.
Jeff Bailey had led Yorba Linda HS (CA) since the school opened in 2009, winning 179 games and punching their ticket to the postseason 18 times, winning 11 league titles in the process. Dating back to 2020, Bailey had put together an impressive 58-11 mark and Yorba Linda.
Yesterday, Bailey made his decision to walk away from that for a new challenge official.
During a board meeting in one of the richest areas of America, Bailey was approved as the new head coach at a new school
The program he's set to take over? Here's a clue - the zip code is 90210.
While some of you got that right away, and it flew right over the head of young coaches reading it - he's taking over at Beverly Hills HS (CA).
In a study done of the most expensive zip codes in the United States done in 2025, it should come as no surprise Beverly Hills, CA and the iconic 90210 zip code came in 3rd nationally. Ranking only behind Atherton, CA (best known as the home of Silicon Valley billionaires) and Sagaponack, NY (the home the exclusive Hamptons community), Beverly Hills has a median household income of $390,000 and a median home value of $5.5 million.
The Beverly Hills football program hasn't had a whole lot to cheer for for well over a decade now. Over the past 15 seasons, the football program had gone winless in a third of those seasons (so 5 times total) including this past season's 0-9 mark. They've also had three one-win seasons, and they haven't finished with a record above .500 since 2010, when they ended the season 6-5.
In the school's video announcing the hire, Bailey reflects back on the program he's leaving behind while noting that "winning is never the starting point."
"I spent more than 30 years building a program. I’ve been fortunate to win 179 games, 18 playoff appearances, 11 league championships and four CIF titles, but here’s what I’ve learned: Winning is never the starting point. Starts with discipline, because winning isn’t something you hope for. It’s something you prepare for. When discipline becomes your habit, winning becomes the standard."
So how hungry is Beverly Hills for winning football?
Well that brings us to Bailey's role at the school. a notes that he was hired to serve as director of strength and conditioning for the entire district and is set to make $205,656.
That figure may not surprise some coaches familiar with what coaches in the state's Trinity League or other major private schools in-state may make, but it will certainly strike a chord with coaches making a modest stipend on top of their teaching duties, and especially as coaches in states like Florida have banded together for better pay in taking their battle all the way to their state lawmakers.
It's easy to see how college coaching pay has increased over the years, and a bit harder to do the same for high school coaches, so consider this: A decade ago, back in 2015, a report shared that nine Alabama high school coaches were making $100k a year or more. Shortly after we shared that one, it was reported that Georgia had 17 coaches with six-figure salaries.
By 2019, the number of coaches in The Peach State making at least six-figures had doubled. Then, we did a piece less than a year ago after a graphic of the top 100 highest paid coaches in the state went viral, and each coach on that list was making at least $109k per year - with just one coach, Carrolton's Joey King, making over $200k with a salary of $219,215. The next closest earner was John Reid at Rome HS ($188,457).
Bailey becomes the latest high school coach, and one of surely just a handful in California, to make more than $200k - a salary that is commensurate with what Georgia pays one of their top high school coaches. Granted, it's in one of the most expensive zip codes in the country and that will come with a cost of living increase, but it should also serve as a token for how serious Beverly Hills is about turning things around.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.