Mullen Quits at Foothill to Become Anaheim Football Coach

Ted Mullen, one of the most successful football coaches in Orange County for the past 16 years, has resigned at Foothill High School to become coach at Anaheim High beginning May 1.

Mullen succeeds Roger Stahlhut, who resigned in January after 10 seasons.

“If it was just a matter of coaching football, I would never leave Foothill,” Mullen said. “But looking down the line, this was an attractive offer with a better retirement situation.”

Mullen was 59-15-2 in six seasons at Foothill. He won the Southern Conference championship in 1981 and lost in the title game in 1983.

Mullen will bring his longtime assistant, Bob Salerno, with him to Anaheim. Mullen, a physical education teacher, and Salerno, a guidance counselor, also will hold those positions at Anaheim.

Mullen has a lifetime record of 134-50-5. He began his career at Villa Park in 1970 and led the Spartans to three championship games before he resigned in 1979.

He spent the 1980 season at University, where he was reunited with Salerno, a longtime friend he first met when the two worked as security guards at Disneyland in 1966.

Salerno, who was Mullen’s defensive coordinator at Foothill, was head coach at Anaheim from 1973-76.

Mullen said that two weeks ago, Salerno initiated the talks between himself and Dan Miller, Anaheim athletic director, about moving to Anaheim.

“Some were probably thinking veterans like Bob and myself wouldn’t be interested,” Mullen said. “I basically didn’t know anything was open, and I’m always open to anything. Perhaps, one more time, we can bring a school back up to a solid level.”

Mullen becomes the first man to coach four county football programs. He told Foothill players of his decision Monday, and the Tustin Unified School District board agreed Tuesday night to grant him an early release from his contract.

“Naturally, it was a shock to the players,” Mullen said. “I let them know they had nothing to do with my decision. I’m certainly not leaving an empty well here. Sometimes, opportunities come up at a time when you wish you didn’t have to take them.

“My first order of business at Anaheim will be to get acquainted with the players and encourage everyone to participate,” Mullen said. “I consider this move a shot of adrenaline, and I suspect this will be my last change.”

Anaheim advanced to the semifinals of the Central Conference playoffs last year, finishing 8-5. Anaheim has experienced dwindling enrollment in recent years, but the Colonists still managed to make the playoffs six times under Stahlhut.