Scott grew up in the state of Washington. He graduated in 1980 from Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington. Thereafter, he attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon where he wrestled for two seasons. He then transferred to Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, and wrestled for two years and coached one season. He graduated in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and education. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach and a master’s degree in athletic administration from Concordia University.
In the fall of 1990, he took his teaching and coaching skills to Santa Ana High School at a time when the sport was struggling dismally to gain the respect of the Orange County Wrestling community. In 1993, he guided the Saints to their first league championship then to a further twenty-five straight league titles. Glabb’s teams have also won thirteen CIF (California Inter-scholastic Federation) titles. He has, to date, compiled an overall record of 414 wins and 71 losses. He has coached thirty-six individual CIF champions, sixty state qualifiers and eighteen state place winners.
Aside from these accomplishments, he is extremely proud of two national championship wrestlers he has coached, Tony Perez (1998) and José Leon (1999). Also, an alumni of Glabb’s is professional mixed martial arts fighter Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez who holds a world championship belt at 155 pounds and now fights for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships). Glabb was awarded the National Wrestling Coaches Association California State Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1999 and was also the recipient of the California Coaches Association State Wrestling Coach of the Year Award for the 2006–2007 season. Glabb was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: California Chapter in 2014, inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and was part of the inaugural class for the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Sports Wall of Fame for 2015.
He is also involved with the campus ministry Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was honored as the FCA “John Wooden” Southern California Coach of the Year in 2003. In 2017, he was selected as the Santa Ana Unified School Districts High School Teacher of the Year and a semi-finalist for the Orange County Teacher of the Year. Glabb has been married to his wife, Andrea, since November 2000. She is a science teacher at Loara High School in Anaheim. They have two sons and live in Costa Mesa. He continues to teach and coach at Santa Ana High School. The words he lives by: “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
Eastern Washington University
Bachelor of Arts – Speech Communication and Education
Bachelor of Arts – Communications Studies
California State University, Long Beach
Bachelor of Arts – English Literature
Teaching Credential
Concordia University, Irvine
Masters – Coaching and Athletic Administration
Career
• 1988 – Head Coach
Marina High School, Huntington Beach, CA
• 1990 – 2019 (Retired) Head Coach
Santa Ana High School, Santa Ana, CA
• Led Santa Ana Saints to 27 consecutive league titles
• Led 13 CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Championships
• 11 Times Runner-Up CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Championships
Awards
• Orange County Register’s Wrestling “Coach of the Year” Award – 1996, 1998
• LA Times “Coach of the Year” – 1996
• National Wrestling Coaches Association’s “California State Wrestling Coach of the Year” – 1999
• California Coaches Association “State Wrestling Coach of the Year” – 2007
• Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: California Chapter – 2014
• Inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame – 2015
• Inducted into the Santa Ana Unified School District Wall of Fame 2017
• Inducted into the Santa Ana High School Hall of Fame 2017
• Teacher of the Year 2017
• SAUSD High School Teacher of the Year 2017
• Orange County Educator of the Year Semi-Finalist 2018
Memberships
• Member, Orange County Wrestling Coaches Association
• Member, CIF Wrestling Advisory Committee
Society is rife with inspirational teachers who have taken on seemingly insurmountable challenges and wrestled victory from the jaws of defeat. Such is the case in A Saint in the City, the touching memoir from Santa Ana High School wrestling coach, Scott Glabb. Glabb’s life story highlights the rewards of true grit and determination.
Be sure to check out Jay Mohr’s upcoming podcast, “Mohr Stories” featuring Scott Glabb. Join them as they discuss Scott’s legendary wrestling coaching career, the ups and downs of educators, and more! Listen to Jay Mohr and Coach Glabb
By LORI BASHEDA | Orange County Register July 8, 2010 at 2:00 pm Seventy two to zero. That was not a score. It was a massacre. Christians fed to lions. Reagan over Mondale. Custer at Little Bighorn. It seemed more than mere cross-town wrestling rivals facing off in a hot Orange County gym. That’s how Scott Glabb’s…
By Teryl Zarnow | Orange County Register February 19, 2010 at 1:19 pm In 1990, when Scott Glabb became the wrestling coach at Santa Ana High School, a few clues to his future seemed obvious. First, he was the only applicant for the job. Second, for two-day matches, his entire team would show up on…
“This book shines a light on the importance of coaching in the development of young men through the greatest sport in the world: wrestling when a coach is trustworthy and creates a strong relationship with his athletes the possibilities are limitless. He trajectory of many lives has been changed due to the selflessness of coach Glabb, and I think it is a definite read for anyone in the business of leadership.”
“Inspiring heartfelt triumphant after reading this book and how Scott affected these kids’ lives it made me want to drop everything and coach.”
UFC Fighter
ESPN Analyst
Strikeforce Light Weight Champion
Santa Ana High School Wrestling Alumni
“Glabb gave me confidence. He got my head straight. In “A Saint in the City,” one reads about kids most coaches would give up on, that I would give up on, but Glabb never gave up on them.”
“Scott Glabb takes the reader on a poignant journey into the lives and hardships of many Santa Ana High School’s forgotten youth. With unwavering courage, personal sacrifice and determination, he is able to reach seemingly unreachable kids. Using wrestling as his vehicle for change, he provides tough love to teach these kids that they not only matter, they can alsofind their place in the world and achieve their dreams.”
“I have known Scott Glabb for over a decade and have seen him mentor and lead challenged students’ to dream and reach goals most thought were beyond their reach. In his book, the reader discovers how Scott believed in boys living against all odds and transform them into winners.”
