Mike “The Wizard” Walsh is an icon in the San Pedro community, making waves in the football scene since the 90s. Walsh has been involved in the San Pedro High School football program since 1979, and stepped up as the head coach in 1991, where he went on to make history with the Pirates. In his career as head coach for the Pirates, they hailed 227 total wins and five LA City Section championships, even leading San Pedro to ten Marine League titles. Walsh was recognized by the city of LA as Coach of the Year in 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2008, receiving great acclaim for his career in football. In 2016, Walsh made the difficult decision to step down as head coach for San Pedro Football, stating “You can play around with it forever, but you’ve got to get out of the way at some point… and there’s some good, loyal assistants here and other qualified people waiting in line.” He also remarked “This community means a lot to me. I’m proud to be from here and to represent San Pedro on the football field for the last 25 years.” Walsh left a lasting impression on the team, its players, and the greater community. In his honor, San Pedro High School renamed their football stadium after him in 2018, now known as the Mike Walsh Pirate Stadium. These days, his son Corey Walsh is following in his footsteps, currently acting as the head coach for the Pirates. Corey played on the team in his high school years, coming in as assistant coach the same year his dad retired and taking over as head coach in 2022. Now, Mike Walsh will be receiving the Coach George Allen Lifetime Achievement Award at the Freedom4U and Hearts Respond Futures Arise event, in recognition for his incredible career as a football coach and community figure.