MENLO SCHOOL Since 1915
About the Team
The Menlo School program aims to help our student-athletes become adults of empathy who will lead, be responsible, embrace challenges, and change the world for good while striving for excellence in all they do.
In 2022, the Knights had a record-breaking season in which they went 12-1, finishing their season in the Central Coast Section Div, II Championship. In 2021 and the shortened 2020 season, Menlo went undefeated in the PAL-Ocean Division, and held a 16-2 overall record. Menlo quarterback Sergio Beltran shattered an all-time, single-season CCS record with 52 TD passes in a season.
After winning back-to-back league titles in 2016 and 2017, the Knights moved to the top tier of the PAL and faced an eventual state champion, a CCS Open finalist, and two other CCS Open challengers. In 2016, Menlo advanced to a CCS Championship to cap an 11-2 season.
Menlo School football has a long-standing reputation for producing high-scoring offenses and tough-minded opportunistic defenses.
Menlo football is a values-based program. Strong character traits, such as empathy, humility, courage, resilience and fortitude are at the forefront of our teachings and shape the culture. The goal is to build strong and more thoughtful individuals who rise when adversity surfaces.
The Coach
Todd Smith (Fifth Season)
Smith has been a mainstay for the Knights since he took on the role of defensive coordinator in 2013 under Mark Newton. He has coached players from middle school to college. In the last eight seasons, he has helped his teams to five Central Coast Section title appearances - including 2021 when the Knights reached the Div. II championship - its highest level in program history. as well as 2017 and 2016. In his debut as head coach in the 2020-21 season, Menlo went undefeated in league play.
Before coming to Menlo, Smith was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Casa Grande High, which advanced to the North Coast Section finals in 2010 and 2011. He was defensive backs coach at Blinn College, Texas, which won two national junior college titles during his time coaching the secondary, ranked No. 1 nationwide in overall pass defense. At Sierra College, he was defensive backs coach during a 39-game win streak, which including five consecutive bowl wins. After graduating from Live Oak, Smith was an all-league defensive back for Gavilan College where he later returned to coach as defensive coordinator for the top defense in the nation. A graduate of San Jose State, he holds a bachelors in business management and a masters in kinesiology.
