Dave Thompson Returning as Marina Football Coach : Preps: From 1978-85, he led team to the playoff semifinals four times. The school’s activities director succeeds John Seeley.

Dave Thompson, a highly successful football coach at Marina High School from 1978-85, was named Thursday to succeed John Seeley as the school’s coach.

Thompson resigned in May, 1986, to become the school’s activities director, citing a lack of full-time positions for assistants, facility maintenance problems and a lack of administrative support.

Thompson compiled a 58-32-4 record in eight seasons before resigning. He led Marina to the semifinals of the Big Five Conference playoffs four times and was named the county’s coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.

“I miss the game on the field, I miss Friday nights, I miss everything about football,” Thompson said. “It helps that I’ve now been on both sides of the fence as a coach and an administrator.

“When I resigned, I was frustrated with a lot of things that I had no control over. Now, I think I’m a little more understanding. I’ve learned not to let things that are out of your control affect you.”

Before Thompson arrived in 1978, Marina had a 39-90-6 record and only one winning season since the school opened in 1963.

But Marina went 11-2 and reached the semifinals of the Big Five Conference playoffs in Thompson’s third season, and he was named county coach of the year for the first time.

Marina became one of the county’s top programs in the early ‘80s, reaching the semifinals of the playoffs in three consecutive years (1983-85) and winning two Sunset League titles.

But Thompson became disenchanted when full-time assistants Mark Reling and Seeley were not rehired after the 1985 season.

Seeley was subsequently rehired as the school’s head coach in 1988 but resigned three weeks ago to accept an assistant coaching job at Rio Hondo College. Thompson was the only applicant for the position.

“Dave will continue as the school’s activities director for the remainder of the school term, but we expect him to run spring football,” Marina Athletic Director Larry Doyle said. “He was the No. 1 choice all along, but we had to be certain everything was fully understood before he was hired.”

Thompson will have three full-time assistants--Doyle, Jack Bowman and Dick Degen. Walk-on assistants Lance Perry and John Porter have indicated they will return next season.