Al Borges

Lauded by former Auburn football coach Pat Dye as “one of the best offensive coordinators’ I’ve ever seen,’’ explains how and why North Salinas High graduate Al Borges had such a decorated college coaching career. In 2004 with Borges structuring the offense Auburn went 13-0 and won the national championship. But his career was off to a flying start before then. In 1997 he was Football Quarterly offensive coordinator of the year. In 1997-98 he was the Frank Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year finalist. And in 2005 Borges was Rivals. Com OC of the year. His teams went to 11 bowl games including three Cotton Bowls, two Sugar Bowls and one Rose Bowl. Borges-coached teams won nine conference championships in such leagues as the Pac-10, SEC and Big Sky. While at the U. of Oregon the Ducks were the No. 1 passing team in the Pac-10. At UCLA the Bruins had a 20-game win streak and won two conference titles while his Portland State teams won five titles in seven years. For his career Borges coached three quarterbacks who became first-round NFL picks and more than 100 players who reached the NFL — seven of them quarterbacks. He also made coaching stops at Michigan, Cal, Boise State, Indiana and San Diego State. And it all started in 1975 coaching at Salinas High.