Coach Perry Skaggs on Private vs Public Schools, Building the Duarte Family, and Growing Programs

On the Contacts Coaching podcast, Duarte High School athletic director and PE teacher Coach Perry Skaggs shares his path from LA Unified student and Fairfax High alumnus to coaching and athletic administration across private and public schools, including Pilgrim, Viewpoint, Flintridge Prep, Westmark, and LAUSD sites before landing at Duarte eight years ago. He explains why he moved between sectors—job security, parent access, and career stability—and why Duarte feels like a “small town” community where relationships drive athletics. Skaggs discusses lessons from eight-man football, emphasizing coaching adaptability and culture, and outlines Duarte’s multi-sport philosophy and sport offerings, including additions like girls flag football, stunt, and boys volleyball based on student interest. He also describes evolving from dogmatic coaching to more collaborative communication and focusing programs on positive student-athlete experiences over championships.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:55 Coaching Roots and Early Stops02:37 Flintridge Prep to Westmark Shift03:44 Westmark Lessons and Eight Man Success04:40 Back to Public and Finding Duarte07:05 Private vs Public Realities13:02 Why Duarte Feels Like Family17:36 Stepping Into the AD Role21:51 Eight Man vs Eleven Man Football25:42 Eight Man Culture and Community28:04 Eight Man Football Shift28:44 Selling Multi Sport Culture30:32 Cutting And Adding Sports34:27 New Programs And Tradeoffs36:23 Do New Sports Hurt Others37:50 Culture Over Championships41:57 Post COVID Team Mindset46:30 Changing Coaching Style50:15 Staying Old School Tools53:02 Final Wrap And Thanks