**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICERPURSUANT TO SEC RELEASE 33-8238**

** **

I,  Jack C. Wauchope, certify that:

 

1.               I have reviewed this Annual Report onForm 10-KSB of Coast Bancorp;

 

2.               Based on my knowledge, this report doesnot contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the periodcovered by this report;

 

3.               Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of the small business issuer as of, and for, the periodspresented in this report;

 

4.               The small business issuer’s othercertifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)and 15d-15(e)) for the small business issuer and have:

 

(a)       Designed such disclosurecontrols and procedure, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to bedesigned under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating tothe small business issuer, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is madeknown to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period inwhich this report is being prepared;

 

(b)       [Paragraphreserved pursuant to SEC Release 33-8238]

 

(c)       Evaluated theeffectiveness of the small business issuer’s disclosure controls and proceduresand presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of thedisclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by thisreport based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)       Disclosed in this reportany change in the small business issuer’s internal control over financialreporting that occurred during small business issuer’s most recent fiscalquarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materiallyaffect, the small business issuer’s internal control over financial reporting;and

 

5.               The small business issuer’s othercertifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluationof internal control over financial reporting, to the small business issuer’s auditors and the audit committee of smallbusiness issuer’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunctions):

 

(a)     All significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect the small business issuer’s ability to record, process, summarize andreport financial information; and

 

(b)     Any fraud, whether or notmaterial, that involves management or other employees who have a significantrole in the small business issuer’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 
| Date:  March 25,   2004 | /s/ Jack C.  Wauchope                       |   |
|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|--------|
|                              | Jack C.  Wauchope                           |
|                              |  President and Chief Executive Officer |
|                              | (Principal  Executive Officer)              |

 

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