Westlake Coach Rejects Parents’ Complaints Over Football Program

Rick Clausen said he would not apologize for how he has reshaped Westlake High School’s football team, responding on November 5 to complaints from a group of players’ parents. The parents sent the school a memo last week saying they had hired a private investigator to examine possible recruiting violations.

Clausen characterized the complaints as unsurprising and said his approach was to take struggling teams and improve them. He took over Westlake in 2025, after the team went 0-10, and led it to a 10-1 record in his first season. The team is 7-3 in his second year.

In a separate statement, Clausen said places on the team were earned through competition. He argued that some families expected their children to receive opportunities without earning them, and said the program’s direction differed from Westlake’s past. He also said he wanted to build a team of students with college goals.

In 2025, Clausen received the Don Shula coaching honor presented by the Los Angeles Rams. Westlake is scheduled to face Dana Hills in a postseason game on November 6.