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Twenty-five years is a long time to do anything and there was speculation before, during and after the 2008 Sonoma Valley High School gridiron season that it might be the last hurrah for the longtime Sonoma Valley High School varsity coaching tandem of Mick O'Meara and Mike Mulas.

But after 25 years of an exceptionally successful partnership, head coach O'Meara and defensive coordinator Mulas have announced it's not yet time to step down. Over their quarter century of guiding Sonoma's football program, O'Meara and Mulas have compiled a 157-109-6 overall record, which includes eight Sonoma County League titles (five outright, three tied), 15 postseason appearances and an NCS second-place banner in 1990.

Before then, only one Sonoma team had made the playoffs, and the Dragons' stunning NCS semifinal playoff victory over highly-ranked Marin Catholic in 1990 was named the state's upset of the year by Cal-High Sports. O'Meara and Mulas were also able to coach both their talented sons - John O'Meara was a 1999 Sonoma graduate and standout quarterback, and Michael Mulas has been a defensive linebacking star who will be headed to a collegiate football program in the fall of 2009. 

But a quarter century of coaching hasn't dimmed their passion, or their commitment to a Dragons coaching staff "like a family," so O'Meara and Mulas said they'll return for at least another season,and possibly, beyond.

Not that they didn't consider the thought of retirement. "Sure, after the recent season and 25 years running Sonoma's football program, both Mike and I paused to reflect on what we've done together as coaches and take a look at what else we wanted to accomplish," said O'Meara. "We had put together a coaching staff, or fraternity, of former players and local men - most of them members from longtime families in the Valley - who we enjoy working with and, since we never had set a timetable on when to step away, it wasn't so hard to a decide on staying. Anyway," O'Meara concluded, "I enjoy teaching and don't expect to soon retire."

In Mulas' case, a lot depends on where his son, Michael, plays college football because it would be unthinkable for the father not to attend his son's games. But since Michael Mulas will most likely redshirt his first season, Mike will have time to coach.

That's good news for O'Meara, who added, "The two of us have the same philosophy for coaching high school football and I depend on Mike, who has a great eye for talent, along with his outstanding defensive mind to help me make the right decisions for Dragons football." 

Mulas, a dairyman and firefighter for the Schell-Vista Fire Department just completed his 30th year of coaching the football Dragons, having started the year after he graduated as an SVHS gridder. 

"I enjoy working with the kids and still have the passion to teach them about how hard work and determination leads to success," said Mulas. "I always tell them not to worry about making mistakes. As they say, 'players win games and coaches lose them.' I don't put the blame on the kids, it's on me."

Mulas added, "We have some new challenges ahead of us as a coaching staff and a team, but that's what makes it exciting and, anyway, Mick and I are still having fun. Also, I really enjoy when former players come up and tell me what they're doing with their lives. And so does Mick. He's excellent at teaching leadership, maturity and development as a person. Some of the relationships you develop with your players last a lifetime, and they're what makes coaching so rewarding."

O'Meara has coached high-school football for 37 years, starting at his high school alma mater, Bret Harte, in the Sierra-Nevada foothills outside of Yosemite. He continued coaching while a student at Santa Clara University and Humboldt State and, after a stint in King City, came to Sonoma as a biology/chemistry teacher and coach.

After meeting and first coaching Sonoma's junior varsity football team with Mulas and current Sonoma vice principal, Glenn Moll, O'Meara joined the Dragons' varsity staff in 1983.

When popular head coach Stan Augustine decided to step away from coaching, O'Meara took over the varsity grid reins in 1984 and instantly brought Mulas up from the jayvees to be the Dragons' defensive coordinator and right-hand man. Thus the coaching partnership was born.

Along with developing their "coaching family" and successfully directing the Dragons for two-and-a-half decades, there's no doubt that coaching together, their talented sons have been major highlights in their lives.

O'Meara's son, John - recently promoted to a vice-president position at  Morgan Stanley in New York City - led the Dragons as their all-league quarterback to one of Sonoma's SCL titles in his 1998 senior season.

When John was chosen as a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame scholarship winner (he was also the top student-athlete in Sonoma County) Mulas sponsored a table of O'Meara's personal and coaching family members at the awards ceremony in San Francisco.

Mulas' son, Michael, just concluded his sparkling third straight year as the leader of Sonoma's defense at his middle linebacker postition, where he was one of the top tacklers in the North Bay. He averaged 15 tackles a game and set school tackling records for a season and career. He was also a two-time SCL defensive player of the year, the 2007 Empire defensive player of the year, and an All-Metro defensive pick by the San Francisco Chronicle after last season.

O'Meara's and Mulas' longtime coaching family includes Bob Midgley (former Dragon player who took over for O'Meara as Sonoma's athletic director); Mike Sangiacomo (15 years as an assistant); Steve Sangiacomo and Damien Magnani (both former star players for O'Meara and Mulas); and Ray Sullivan and Chris Hoake (both former Dragon standouts).

Two other longtime coaches under O'Meara and Mulas are Sonoma alumni and former Dragon players Jim Haver and the late Alan Peterson.

While O'Meara and Mulas continue to fortify their "family coaching umbrella," they're already planning for the 2009 football season, their 26th campaign together. The season will start with spring workouts and intensify come August, when the preseason begins, followed by the regular season's September start.

Are O'Meara and Mulas ready for the challenges facing their varsity Dragons in 2009? Just watch them when the official practice sessions begin.

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