Joining Exodus, Drott Leaves North Hollywood

For the second day in a row, a local high school coach announced his resignation, saying it was time to flee Los Angeles.

Steve Drott, varsity softball and girls’ volleyball coach at North Hollywood High, said Thursday he was tired of “disheartening” conditions in the L.A. Unified School District.

“Last year I took a loaded gun off a kid,” said Drott, 31. “I got tired of confiscating weapons.”

Drott also complained about poor pay. He said he and his wife, Jolynn, would rather go elsewhere to raise their 2-year-old daughter, Kaylynn. Drott has accepted a teaching job at Kearns High in Salt Lake City. He will teach biology while taking over as head coach of the varsity softball team and assisting with girls’ volleyball.

“I don’t want to raise my family here,” he said. “I’m moving (today). It’s beautiful up there.”

Drott, a native of Orange County, announced his decision one day after Grant varsity baseball Coach David O’Ravez said he had resigned and was moving to Redding without a job.

“It’s the same story; just change the name,” said Drott, who taught at Amelia Earhart High, a continuation school, and was a walk-on coach at North Hollywood. “I’ve been looking to get out for about three years. But this last spring I said, ‘This is it. I’ve got to get out of L.A.’ ”