Acalanes principal says Floyd Burnsed resigned as football coach, new coach named

LAFAYETTE – Acalanes principal Eric Shawn told the Bay Area News Group on Monday that Floyd Burnsed resigned as football coach and that assistant Joel Isaac has been promoted into the position. 

The development comes two days after Burnsed told the Bay Area News Group that he hoped to continue coaching at the school for two more years, but “the administration thought it was time to start over and start a new program, so that’s what they’re doing.”

Shawn shared a statement he issued to the Acalanes football community on Friday in which the principal said he had worked all week with Burnsed to discuss the program’s future and that he received Burnsed’s resignation earlier in the day.

“I and our community are deeply grateful for Coach Burnsed’s years of dedicated service to Acalanes Football,” Shawn wrote. “He has worked tirelessly to build a strong program and foundation that has led to our success and has ensured a promising future for our athletes.”

Burnsed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Acalanes went 68-34 under Burnsed, with the coach turning the program into a consistent contender over his near-decade in charge. He led the Lafayette public school to its only state championship, in 2023, and was a two-point conversion away from reaching another title game last season.

According to Acalanes’ football website, Isaac was the team’s running backs coach and offensive coordinator last season. 

Isaac coached at Acalanes under Floyd from 2016-2020, spent two years at Vanden and then returned to the Lafayette program in 2023. Isaac did not immediately respond to a request for comment from this news organization.