The Lubbock clan make it to Eureka, California, where Graham's accepting a coaching job at St Auggie's Academy -- but the family's in for some surprises. First, the Coach learns that the university is an all-boys school – which his daughters will be attending. Then they arrive at their new run-down home, and find it ""looks like something out of Nightmare on Elm Street."" But the biggest surprise is that Graham only got the job because his former student, Duane Johnson, works on the faculty, and has been corresponding with Elizabeth.

The first day at school is culture shock for everyone, particularly the girls, who are fawned after by the entire student body. But the young men soon back away from the girls when JR tries to impress two guys by revealing that Coach Lubbock killed a kid in New York ""just to watch him die.""

For his birthday, Graham receives an unsigned brown-paper-wrapped shoebox containing $1,233, but is reluctant to keep it. He suspects that it came from friends who wanted to help with the moving expenses – unaware that Cindy had raffled herself off for a date with the young men of St. Auggies.