Burroughs Football will enter the new season with a new head coach for a second straight season

The 2025 season will be the second year in a row that the John Burroughs Bears Football team will enter the new season with a new head coach, this time going with a familiar face on the sideline. Jose Calzadilla, the longest tenured football assistant coach, served on multiple staffs since 1999 and will finally get his opportunity. Calzadilla has been promoted from offensive line coach to head coach of the program for the upcoming school year. 

Calzadilla was a football player for Burroughs long before the Indians became the Bears and was also a member of the track team during his time as a student at John Burroughs High School. He graduated from Burroughs in 1989. 

Before coaching football at Burroughs, Jose Calizadilla began his coaching career in 1995 as an offensive and defensive line coach at Burbank High School. Before taking over the top spot at Burroughs, Calizadilla worked as the offensive coordinator on the junior varsity football team along with serving as a quarterbacks, running backs, offensive, and defensive line coach. 

Calizadilla served under five coaches during that span and worked under Keith Knoop (current JBHS athletic director and girls flag football coach/hall of fame football head coach for the Indians), Mike Riley (served as Burroughs head football coach from 2016-2017 and current varsity offensive line coach for the Bears), Ran Holdren (Burroughs head football coach from 2018-2019) Jesse Craven (Burroughs Head Coach Coach from 2020-2023), and Laron Johnson (Burroughs head football coach in 2024). 

The coaching staff under Jose Calzadilla will feature frosh head coach Fabian Ospina, and varsity defensive coordinator/special teams coordinator Keith Recchia, while Calzadilla will serve as the varsity team’s offensive coordinator in addition to his head coaching duties. 

One of the biggest storylines heading into the new season will be the quarterback competition for the second offseason in a row. The battle will be between juniors Brandon Chaparro and Sean Ghaman as both will be competing for who will be the starting quarterback in the Bears’ season opener against Hart in week 1 of the 2025 season. While the offense is looking for their starting quarterback for the long term, the Bears defense should be a strength heading into the 2025 season as it is centered around three returning all-Pacific League second team defensive players in juniors Carson Shrode (defensive back), Ryder Bowne (linebacker) and senior Dominic Saraceno(defensive lineman). 

“I’m excited to help those guys find their maximum potential. We got a great group of players that are committed to working hard day in and day out, along with doing some great work in the weight room,” said the newly promoted Bears head coach. Calzadilla also mentioned a goal of ending the season without a coin flip when asked about the Bears’ 1-3 finish to end last season. Burroughs finished tied with Pasadena and Crescenta Valley, and missed out on a CIF Southern Section playoff appearance by losing the coin flip to both schools. 

Jose Calzadilla will make his Burroughs head football coaching debut on Friday, August 29th against Hart with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. He will also coach his first game at home on Friday, September 5th against Santa Monica, which will also be a 7:00 p.m. kick off at Memorial Field at John Burroughs High School.