Bloomington High School found its replacement for the legendary Don Markham on Friday, picking Tom Conner, formerly an assistant coach for the freshman team, to become its next varsity head coach.

"They've shown me that loyalty goes a long way," said Conner, 33, who beat out at least seven other applicants and two other finalists for the position. "There are no words to describe how to replace a legend -- you go out there and battle and make sure your team can compete at a high level."

Conner is in his fourth year at Bloomington. He has previously served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Bloomington freshman team. He sat out last season because of the birth of his second child.

While Markham, 68, joined Bloomington in 1994 after decades of high school coaching experience, Bloomington seems to have found his antithesis.

After less than a decade of work as an assistant coach -- first at Compton Centennial, then at Bloomington -- this will be Conner's first head coaching experience. He will abandon the double-wing made popular by Markham and instead run a variation of the shotgun spread. His defensive knowledge and overall ambition are what most impressed Bloomington athletic director Ron Taylor.

"He draws people's attention like a magnet," Taylor said. "People like him, and people want to work hard for him."

Conner graduated from Montgomery High School in San Diego in 1993, where he was an All-CIF cornerback his senior season with the Aztecs. He played one season of football at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., and then transferred to play at Southwest Community College in San Diego, during which time he helped coach Montgomery, his alma mater.

He spent a year and a half at Compton Centennial before joining Bloomington as a counselor and freshman football coach. He's had the lifelong dream of becoming a head football coach but can understand those who might say he's too young for the position.

"To be quite honest, I'm one of those people who always felt I had a chip on my shoulder," Conner said. "I had to prove myself. I'm not one of those cocky people with athletic arrogance. ... I know everybody is going to look and say, 'What the heck?' But I'm not out to prove anything. They will get a first-class program here. I look forward to a successful year."