ATHERTON — More than two months after parting ways with football coach Steve Papin, Menlo-Atherton has found his replacement.

The school announced Tuesday that Chris Saunders — who spent the past six years coaching in the West Catholic Athletic League, most recently as the offensive coordinator at Archbishop Riordan — is Papin’s successor.

Saunders takes over one of the Central Coast Section’s most successful programs the past few seasons, one that claimed a state championship in 2018 and section and regional crowns in 2016 and 2018, all under Adhir Ravipati, who stepped down after the state title season.

In one season under Papin, the Bears got off to a slow start, losing to Serra, East of Salt Lake City and Folsom before reeling off six wins in a row to claim their third Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division championship in four seasons.

M-A was selected as the fourth seed in the CCS’s Division I playoffs. In the section’s new competitive equity format, that meant the school was considered the fourth-best team in the entire section going into the postseason.

The Bears lost in the first round, to fifth-seeded Wilcox, in overtime.

Papin was dismissed in the middle of December.

Saunders inherits one of the state’s top college prospects — five-star receiver Troy Franklin, who has 22 college offers, according to 247Sports. Franklin will be a senior in the fall.

According to the news release, Saunders coached at Menlo College for two seasons as the special-teams coordinator. He also spent a season at Central Catholic High in Portland, Oregon.

“I feel blessed to have been exposed to so many great coaches and programs so far in my career,” Saunders said in the release. “The most successful programs I have been a part of have all had tremendous leadership
and have prioritized values over outcomes.

“Having the opportunity to come and join the Menlo-Atherton community in this capacity is a tremendous honor and I plan on creating a first-class experience for players and families in the near future.”

In the release, the school said of Saunders, “Chris Saunders brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and perspective to the Menlo-Atherton football program. His passion for working with young athletes to develop values that transcend the field and prepare them for real-life adversity is central to his approach.

“Coach Saunders and the administration are extremely optimistic and excited about the future of the Menlo-Atherton football program.”