Simi Valley football coach Jim Benkert says, 'If you build it, they will stay' amid transfer era

Jim Benkert is one of California's winningest high school football coaches. He joined Tarek Fattal on the CIF Southern Section Sitdown.

Simi Valley football coach Jim Benkert joins Tarek Fattal on the CIF Southern Section Sitdown. / Taylor Martinez

Jim Benkert is one of California's most winning high school football coaches of all-time.

He's amassed over 300 career victories and claimed six CIF Southern Section titles in his 10 CIF finals appearances while making stops at Westlake High, Oaks Christian and now Simi Valley.

Benkert won four CIF titles at Westlake in 1999, 2003, 2009 and 2011 before winning one at Oaks Christian in 2017 and at Simi Valley in 2023.

When Benkert was at Oaks Christian, the Lions had a number of high-level players that are now in the NFL, including Kayvon Thibodeaux, Zach Charbonnet, Michael Pittman and Colby Parkinson.

Simi Valley is off to a 5-0 start in 2024 ahead of Marmonte League play, which is now home to Ventura county's toughest high school teams including Bishop Diego, St. Bonaventure, Oaks Christian, Camarillo and Oxnard Pacifica.

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