San Marcos High School has appointed Dr. Frann Wageneck as its new athletic director, bringing a longtime educator and administrator back to the campus where she graduated in 1984.
Wageneck spent her entire career with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, beginning as a head softball coach and assistant girls basketball coach in the early 1990s. Over the course of her career Wageneck earned credentials in school counseling and administration, she held a series of leadership positions, including assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent, before retiring in 2022.
“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 in a press release. “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.”
Since her retirement, Wageneck has worked as a consultant focused on school-based mental health and has coached school leaders.
San Marcos Principal Dare Holdren welcomed the appointment, citing Wageneck’s leadership experience and connection to the school community.
“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 takes over an athletic program that has experienced recent success. San Marcos teams won 12 Channel League titles during the 2025–26 school year and the school has led all Channel League programs in total championships across all sports for the past 12 years.
According to Wageneck her focus will be on sustaining the environment that has contributed to the program’s achievements and supporting student-athletes and coaches as the school builds on its recent success.
