Family, faith and football: Lavorato steps down as SHP football coach, to take over at TKA

“It took a long time (to make a decision),” Lavorato said. “It was a long thought process. Very difficult. But I want to stress how fantastic Sacred Heart was to me. … Anything I asked for, I got. They were so supportive.”

A number of factors played into his decision, but the main reasons were family and faith. Lavorato and his wife are caring for her 94-year-old mother and, with King’s Academy right down the street from both his home and near his mother-in-law, Lavorato, 65, decided it was best for him to be closer to family.

“I don’t want to make it that simple,” Lavorato said. “There were a bunch of very personal reasons why we’re leaving.”

Lavorato also looks at it as an opportunity to spread his faith and tell his story to another community. Lavorato has taken his Christian faith very seriously for the last 30 years and wants to continue to evangelize.

“I’m a Christian and I’ll be able to share my beliefs about a God who loves with a bunch of new kids. I feel very blessed,” Lavorato said. “I’m going to be able to share my love for Christ. That’s what my whole life is really about, sharing the good news that Jesus loves us. It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship. That’s kind of what drives my life since I was 33 years old.”

The other driving force has been coaching football and Lavorato has excelled at this as well. During his 14 seasons with the Gators, Lavorato compiled a record of 123-46, including a 29-11 mark in nine seasons competing in the PAL. He led SHP to five Central Coast Section championships, including the 2014 Open Division title, two Northern California titles and two state championship game appearances.

“We were surprised,” said Frank Rodriguez, SHP assistant principal of athletics. “Pete’s leaving on good terms, without question. The school supports the reasons for why he is leaving. A majority are not football related. Life changes.”

Rodriguez said the school posted the coaching opening beginning Monday and will now go through the interviewing and background process of hiring a new coach to lead the program.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone else to come in and build on the foundation here,” Rodriguez said.

Lavorato had posted 14 straight non-losing seasons (he went 5-5 in 2006) before going 3-9 last season. But he said it was one of the most gratifying seasons of his career.

“I was happy with last year. I was OK with last year,” Lavorato said, who still guided the Gators to the CCS semifinals where they lost to eventual CCS champ Half Moon Bay.

“We still competed. When our kids walked on the field, they were respectful and they played the game the right way. That’s what football should be about.”

Lavorato was adamant he could not have accomplished what he did without the help of his coaching staff, especially Matt Moran and Mark Modeste, his two, long-serving lieutenants.

“Fourteen years is a long time and I think we did some cool things,” Lavorato said. “I give all the credit to my staff, to Matt Moran and Mark Modeste. They were huge in what we’ve done. And, of course, the kids.

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll coach. I’m going to be 65 this year. [The decision] was all about lifestyle and my own personal life. Sometimes it’s good to try something new, something different.”

Lavorato will be taking over a King’s Academy program that saw its two-year coach, Michael Johnson, jump to the college game, joining the University of Oregon program as a wide receivers coach. Johnson had spent several years at the major-college and professional level before taking over the King’s Academy position.

Joining him in Eugene is his son, Michael Johnson Jr., who became a burgeoning college prospect during his two seasons at quarterback for the Knights.

King’s Academy and SHP have been pretty much joined at the hip for the last decade or so, first as rivals in the North Coast Section Bay Football League. They both came into the PAL beginning in the 2008 season. The Knights have had a fair amount of success, with a couple down years a few seasons ago, so it’s not like Lavorato is going into a rebuilding situation.

Truth be told, it probably didn’t matter where Lavorato ended up. He wanted to continue to coach football but, at the same time, he wanted to do so closer to home and family. If the opportunity at King’s Academy didn’t present itself, there is a good chance Lavorato would still be a Gator.

But as they say, God works in mysterious ways.

“Now I get to share with a bunch of new people who don’t know my story,” Lavorato said. “My greatest hope, other than King’s Academy doing well, is that Sacred Heart Prep continues to be successful.”

Said Rodriguez: “Nothing but wishing him the best and thanking him for everything he’s done for our community. After [14] years, he left his mark.”

Nathan Mollat can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: 344-5200 ext. 117. You can follow him on Twitter @CheckkThissOutt.