**EXHIBIT31.1**

**CERTIFICATEOF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO SEC RELEASE 33-8238CERTIFICATION**

I, Jack C.Wauchope, certify that:

1.               I have reviewedthis Annual Report on Form 10-KSB of Coast Bancorp;

2.               Based on myknowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material factor omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, inlight of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.               Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the small business issuer asof, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.               The small businessissuer’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the small business issuer and have:

(a)       Designed such disclosure controls andprocedure, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to thesmall business issuer, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made knownto us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in whichthis report is being prepared;

(b)       [Paragraph reserved pursuant to SECRelease 33-8238]

(c)       Evaluated the effectiveness of the smallbusiness issuer’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in thisreport our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls andprocedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on suchevaluation; and

(d)       Disclosed in this report any change inthe small business issuer’s internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during small business issuer’s most recent fiscal quarter that hasmaterially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the smallbusiness issuer’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.               The small businessissuer’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our mostrecent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,  to the small business issuer’s auditors andthe audit committee of small business issuer’s board of directors (or personsperforming the equivalent functions):

(a)     All significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reportingwhich are reasonably likely to adversely affect the small business issuer’sability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)    Any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in the smallbusiness issuer’s internal controls over financial reporting.
| Date:   March 30,  2007 |   | /s/ Jack C. Wauchope                  |
|----------------------------------------|--------|---------------------------------------|
|                                   |   | Jack C. Wauchope                      |
|                                   |   | President and Chief Executive Officer |
|                                   |   | (Principal Executive Officer)         |

 

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