San Marcos High School has named Dr. Frann Wageneck as its new Athletic Director. A proud alumna of the class of 1984, Wageneck is returning to a school and a community that shaped her.
“Athletics are where students build identity, resilience and lifelong friendships — and I believe deeply in protecting that space for every young person who walks onto this campus,” said Wageneck. “I am committed to making sure every coach, every team and every student-athlete at San Marcos feels supported, valued and set up to thrive.”
Wageneck spent her entire career in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. She got her start as a coach, serving as head softball coach and assistant girls basketball coach in the early 1990s.
Over the years, she earned her school counseling and administrative credentials and took on progressively broader leadership roles — assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent — before retiring in 2022.
Since retiring she has stayed close to the work she loves, coaching school leaders and consulting on school-based mental health. It’s a quieter kind of service than running a district, but in many ways a more personal one.
San Marcos Principal Dare Holdren is glad to have her back.
“I am extremely excited to have Frann leading our athletic program,” Holdren said. “Her experience as a leader is incomparable, and her enthusiasm for San Marcos and our community will help raise our school to new heights.”
Wageneck steps into a program with deep roots and real momentum. The Royals won 12 Channel League titles during the 2025-26 school year and have led all Channel League schools in total championships across all sports for 12 consecutive years.
She is the first to credit the coaches and athletes who built that record. Her goal, she says, is to maintain the environment where our Royals can continue to thrive.