After leading Buchanan High School to back-to-back TRAC championships, Matt Giordano announced Monday afternoon that he is stepping down as the Bears’ head football coach.
Giordano’s six years at the helm of the football program were defined by consistent excellence on the field and the close relationships he shared with players and staff off it. He amassed a record of 51-16 since he took over as head coach in 2016.
Since 2017, the Bears have won 80% of their games, completed three 10-win seasons, and battled with local and state powerhouses like Central, De La Salle, Narbonne, and Los Alamitos.
Giordano’s profile as a former Buchanan Bear, Cal Golden Bear, and nine-year NFL safety elevated the image of the football program and attracted big-time teams to Veterans Memorial Stadium. He also produced a long list of athletes that went on to compete at the next level.
Current Division-I college football and baseball stars Kendall Milton, Jalen Cropper, and Brock Jones played for Giordano, a 2019 inductee into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame. The list goes on for current Division-I and junior college football players that came through Buchanan under Giordano’s watch.
Giordano’s vast football experience, ranging from his two years as a Fresno City Ram to playing in Super Bowl XLI for the Indianapolis Colts, allowed him to build a winning football team that reflected himself as a player and person – gritty, hard-working, and humble.
Ask his players, who were informed by Giordano of his decision Monday morning, and they will mention how much of an impact he left on them.
“Gio was not just a coach to us or me but someone that I could look up to,” said Buchanan linebacker Logan Studt. “With him, not everything was just about winning. It was about how we are doing in school and how all of us are doing off the football field. I knew that he cared about us like we were his own, and he would do anything for any of us on the team.”
Studt said that when the team found out Giordano was stepping down, “every one of us was in disbelief and devastated.”
Giordano posted a letter on the Buchanan High football Instagram page that read in part, “Even though this decision comes with great sadness, I remain grateful for this opportunity to have been given the chance to coach here at Buchanan High School. Very few have the opportunity to come back and coach at their alma mater and to be given the chance to do that, I considered myself very blessed.”
Giordano closed his letter by stating, “Although this chapter of coaching at Buchanan High School is coming to an end, my family and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for the next chapter. We will always hope and pray for the best for this program and school. We are so thankful for the memories and friendships we have made during our time at Buchanan. Thanks again! Go Bears!!!”