The legacy of a devoted father and Merced County Sheriff’s officer, Chuck Hale, lives on through his son, Caden Hale.
Chuck, a cherished member of the community and a passionate assistant coach at Pacheco High School, left a mark both on and off the field. Known for his dedication to both the Sheriff’s Office and the football program, Chuck dreamed of one day retiring to become the full-time head coach of the Pacheco Panthers’ varsity football team. Though he passed away a few years ago, the lessons he left behind remains a guiding force in his son’s life.
Caden, who once walked the sidelines as a ball boy for the Pacheco High Panthers, has grown into roles that reflect his father’s commitments to community and service. After playing football at Pacheco High, where his father coached, Caden returned as an assistant football coach. This year on Sept. 9, Caden’s journey came full circle when he was sworn in as a custodial deputy with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, continuing the family tradition of service.
Caden’s decision to enter law enforcement was heavily influenced by his family’s history in public service.
“It was something my dad loved to do,” Caden said. “He got into it right out of high school. My mom also got into law enforcement by becoming a 911 dispatcher. But they had talked about wanting me to do something else.”
Despite his parents’ desire for him to explore other career avenues, Caden was still curious about law enforcement. He was eager to learn more about his father’s profession. “That’s what made me interested,” he said. “I had this conversation with my dad prior to his passing, and he was on board with it.”
Caden tried college but found it hard to commit to a long-term academic plan. When it became clear that law enforcement was his true passion, he sought advice from his father’s former colleagues. “I had reached out to former coworkers of my dad’s at the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “We talked over a plan on what would be best for me and how to get into the profession.”
Before joining the Sheriff’s Office, Caden worked as an apprentice in electrical and HVAC under his uncle and volunteered as a football coach at Pacheco High.
“The year after I graduated, I went back and helped the high school that I played at,” Caden said. “I helped the head coach, Jeremy Siemiller, with his offensive line on the varsity level.”
Football was always a huge part of Caden’s life, largely because of his father’s deep connection to the sport. Chuck Hale had been a fixture on the Pacheco High coaching staff a year after the school’s opening in 2010.
“My dad always loved the community,” he said. “He loved the football program. It’s what he spent his time doing when he wasn’t at work with the Sheriff’s Office or later with Livingston. It was his passion.”
Caden followed in his father’s footsteps, playing football at Pacheco for four years—one on the JV team and the next three on varsity. “I grew up around the program,” Caden said. “I was a kid walking around looking up to all the older football players like, ‘Yeah, I want to be like you guys when I get older.'”
Although he initially didn’t plan on coaching, Caden felt a pull to step in after his father’s passing. “I had felt the obligation to step up, not to take over, but to help assist in the role he had because he meant so much to the program,” he said.
The lessons Caden learned from his father go beyond football.
“He was a great leader,” Caden said. “He taught me not only to talk and lead but to hear other people out and listen to what they have to say. Apply that to everything, take suggestions, learn from it, grow from it —just become better overall.”
Caden’s role as a custodial deputy in the Merced County Sheriff’s Office marks another chapter in his journey to follow in his father’s footsteps. As a custodial deputy, Caden will work within the county’s correctional facility, managing and interacting with incarcerated individuals.
It’s a challenging role, but one that Caden feels prepared for, thanks in large part to the values instilled in him by his father. “I mean, they’re big shoes to fill,” Caden said. “Because I believed my dad to be the best at everything he did. He really put a lot of time, effort, and a lot of his heart into it.”
Merced County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Michael Domingue shares the department’s confidence in Caden’s abilities. He explained how Caden doesn’t meet the age requirement for the 21-year-old law enforcement rule yet. “But some changes in the rules allowed Caden to be brought in as a Custodial Deputy, which is a legal requirement of the Sheriff’s Office to maintain a correctional facility.” Domingue said.
Domingue also highlighted Caden’s potential to grow within the department, pointing to the leadership qualities he demonstrated in both football and law enforcement. “When we attended his graduation, we saw the leadership that he placed with his peers in high school,” Domingue said. “He’s been an influential person on his football team, and now he continues to follow that leadership role, even though he’s not a part of it. That shows the commitment and the leadership roles that Merced County Sheriff’s Office loves.”
As Caden looks ahead, he’s focused on balancing his responsibilities as both a custodial deputy and a football coach.
“I’m still involved [in coaching],” Caden said. “I’m just a volunteer, so I go out there when I can. My work schedule before joining the Sheriff’s Office was a little hectic, and coming into this new role, I don’t know exactly how my schedule is going to look in the future. I told them I’ll be there when I can to help out because it’s still a passion of mine.”
Despite the challenges of his new role, Caden is determined to continue contributing to both his community and his father’s legacy.
“He raised me to have a great work ethic,” Caden said. “Whatever I want to do and accomplish, I’m going to because I have the passion and the drive to do it.”
