Evan Yabu is in his first year at Notre Dame High School and will coach his firs season with the Knights fall of 2023. A Thousand Oaks native, Yabu brings a strong passion and energy to Notre Dame. Most recently, he was the head coach at Thousand Oaks High School, where he took over a program in the midst of a 25-game losing streak. In Yabu’s second full season, he led his team to the first playoff berth in five years. This year’s team had the first undefeated 10-0 regular season record in the history of the school, and won its first league title in over 20 years before losing in the playoffs. Last week it was announced that the Ventura County Football Coaches Association voted Yabu and his staff the “Varsity Coaching Staff of the Year.” Yabu is dedicated to shaping the lives of young athletes, guiding them not only in football, but in health, wellness and mindfulness. Yabu’s personal philosophy is deeply aligned with Notre Dame’s four Holy Cross Mission themes: Being Family, Bringing Hope, Building Respect and Educating Hearts and Minds. Yabu is committed to upholding these four pillars for the Notre Dame football community, on and off the field. Notre Dame Football has a rich tradition of excellence over the past 75 years and Yabu is committed to continuing that tradition, while embracing innovative training methods and integrating technology to maximize the potential within each student-athlete. Prior to coaching at Thousand Oaks, Yabu was a wide receivers coach at Camarillo High School. Under his leadership the team went 11-2 on the season and made it to the semifinal round of the playoffs. In addition to working at the high school level, Yabu also has experience coaching at the college level, as the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Moorpark College from 2015-17. In 2017, he was promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, his offense finished the season ranked third in the conference.