Bio

Lester Towns III, former NFL linebacker, enters his seventh season as Head Football Coach at Los Angeles Valley College, where he also continues his work as a Kinesiology professor.

Coach Towns built a standout collegiate career, earning All-Pac-10 honors under coaches Jim Lambright and Rick Neuheisel. He went on to play seven seasons in the NFL after being selected in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

With firsthand experience at the highest level, Coach Towns, understands what it takes to succeed beyond college. He is dedicated to passing that knowledge to the players he says he has “the honor of coaching.”

Before arriving at Valley College, Towns gained valuable coaching experience working alongside elite football minds, including Nick Saban and Kirby Smart at the University of Alabama, and serving as Linebackers Coach at Portland State University. Despite opportunities to remain at Division I level, he chose to return to his roots—committing himself to the community that helped shape him.

At the core of his program are the “Three Pillars,” which guide his coaching philosophy and mentorship. Through this approach, Coach Towns has consistently developed All-Star junior college athletes, many of whom have gone on to transfer to four-year universities to continue both their academic and athletic careers.

Driven by accountability and action, Coach Towns lives by a simple philosophy he shares with his players:
“Don’t tell me, show me.”