High School Sports

Hoover Hopkins understands the level of dedication it takes to commit a career to coaching public-school football in the city. After spending eight years at Cleveland High School, he's spent the past eight at Nathan Hale.

Hopkins is the second-longest tenured public-school coach in Seattle behind Rainier Beach's Mark Haley, who has spent the past 30 years coaching the Vikings — 19-plus as the school's head coach.

So, when Hopkins was asked about Haley's contributions to Rainier Beach and the local football community, he was quick to answer.

"He ought to be a saint," Hopkins said. "They ought to quadruple his salary. They should. Name the stadium after him."

However, for the first time in Haley's career, he has had to reapply for his job. He interviewed last week, and an announcement about the future of the program is expected Friday.

He wants to continue coaching his alma mater but, for now, he waits.

"This is my home," Haley said. "This is where I live, the community I grew up in. I'm giving something positive back to the kids. You hear a lot of the negatives about Rainier Beach, you don't hear enough of the positives."

Rainier Beach athletic director Tim Bursey said he couldn't comment on who began the process of revaluating the direction of the football program. Eric McCurdy, Seattle Public Schools athletic director, couldn't be reached for comment.

"Mark has given us many years of great service, he really has," Bursey said. "It was nothing against Mark at all in the decision that came down, just kind of wanted to see what else was out there. It's kind of unfortunate. I'm really torn up about it. I love Mark. Mark's a great guy. I can't say enough good stuff about him."

Haley, 51, graduated from Rainier Beach in 1978. He walked on to the Washington football team, but a knee injury cut short his playing career. He joined the Vikings' coaching staff in 1981 and became head coach a few games into the 1992 season.

Since then he's had just two losing seasons and made the state playoffs 10 times.

"I love the game of football," Haley said. "I love being around the kids. They keep me energetic. They keep me going."

Over the years he has coached players like Nate Robinson, now playing in the NBA; Alameda Ta'amu, who will participate in this year's NFL combine; Huskies fullback Jonathan Amosa, and Attrail Snipes, who was a receiver at Kansas State.

Haley also coaches wrestling and has coached track and field and girls basketball at the school. Now he is left looking for answers.

"Even if it's just as simple as, 'We want to change the direction of the program or we like what you've done but it's time for a change,' they haven't come to me with that," Haley said. "If they came to me with that, I wouldn't be as upset. But to have no reason given to you after 30 years of service overall at the school, it's kind of like, what's the driving factor?"

Haley still thinks he has something to offer the game. If the school decides to hire someone else, he will evaluate his options.

"So many times people focus on athletics and not some of the systemic problems that are in our public schools," Nathan Hale's Hopkins said. "They blame a coach or a team or athletics when it's part of a much, much bigger problem. Coaches are easy targets, easy marks."

Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or mkelley@seattletimes.com