Hoppy Days Are Here Again

If it’s true that today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s success, the Santa Paula High football team and Coach Hoppy Mumford have bright futures.

The Cardinals, who have enjoyed little success in recent years, are 2-2 and competitive again under their highly organized first-year coach.

Mumford’s penchant for preparedness has helped win games, but it also helped him win the coaching post.

Mumford wowed Santa Paula’s search committee with a goal-oriented, flip-chart presentation during his interview.

Mumford, who had an 11-8-1 record in two seasons as the junior varsity coach, also spent six months working on a manual that details among other things, workouts, a conditioning program and the responsibilities of individuals from head coach to water boy.

Elaborate color-laminated plays and formations, schedules and emergency forms are kept at Mumford’s fingertips in a briefcase at practices and games.

“I don’t [organize] to impress anybody, it’s self-protection,” said Mumford, 59, a retired Ventura firefighter.

“As you get older you start to forget things a bit more and I just feel like I have to be able to find things right away. We know what we’re going to be doing every hour of every day, all week long.”

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Despite rejuvenating a team that posted a 4-16 record the past seasons, Mumford has his critics.

“There’s still a lot of doubters in Santa Paula,” said Mumford, who is a 36-year resident of the town.

“We have rooters who are into the program but unfortunately 99% of the people at games go to check out what you’re doing wrong.”

Added Mumford: “An awful lot of males in this town think they’re coaches. But when I got the job we advertised pretty hard in the paper for help and they never even filled out an application.”