**EXHIBIT 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Jack C. Wauchope, certify that:

 

1.               I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form10-QSB of Coast Bancorp;

 

2.               Based on my knowledge, this report does notcontain 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 other certifyingofficer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosurecontrols and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-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 in thesmall business issuer’s internal control over financial reporting that occurredduring small business issuer’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materiallyaffected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the small businessissuer’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.               The small business issuer’s other certifyingofficer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation ofinternal 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 significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financialreporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the small businessissuer’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; 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:  | November 12,  2004 | /s/ Jack C. Wauchope                                                                         |   |
|--------|--------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
|   |               | Jack C. Wauchope                                                                             |
|   |               | Chairman of the Board,  President and Chief Executive Officer  (Principal Executive Officer) |

 

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