‘A very difficult day’ legendary Sunny Hills soccer coach Mike Schade says after resigning

Coach Mike Schade takes a selfie with son Matt and daughter Alyson after Sunny Hills defeated Notre Vista to win 2022 CIF Division 2 soccer championship. (Photos courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).

The personal reaction to his decision to resign as boys soccer coach at Sunny Hills High School surprised Mike Schade.

“It has been a very difficult day,” he told OC Sports Zone. “I am not sure how long it will take for me to not feel that sense of responsibility to immediately be planning and preparing for next season. Always trying to improve the process is what we do as coaches and it becomes a habit.”

Particularly when that process spans five decades.

Schade joined the Lancer boys soccer program when it was five years old. The year was 1985 and he was an assistant coach for three seasons before becoming head coach in 1988. In the 35 years since, the Lancer program has been among the most stable high school program in the county if not the state.

Under Schade’s direction, the Lancers have won 17 Freeway League titles, qualified for 29 CIF playoffs and been to the CIF finals five times, winning twice, in 2016 and 2022. The Lancers were also CIF champions in 1987 when Schade was an assistant coach.

Schade’s head coach record was 475-244-117; 219-89-42 in league.

“Lancer soccer is such a part of the Schade family,” Schade said. ”The players, their families, the memories and the relationships have influenced me to be who I am today and I will always be grateful for all they have meant to me and my family.

“I will truly miss the process of getting these young men to commit to others and to truly understand the importance of being a team.”

To see additional photos, click on the first photo:

Perhaps the best example of the stability of the Schade Process came on the heels of what was possibly the worst season of his career.

It was the truncated COVID spring season of 2021 when a disjoined Lancer team, beset with injuries, went 6-8-2, finished fifth in the Freeway League and was left out of the CIF playoffs for the first time in two decades.

A season later, playing on a makeshift field (the team’s natural grass field was under repair) where each team played one half running uphill into a setting sun, Sunny Hills went 19-4-4 and stormed through the Division 2 playoffs to a CIF title.

This past season, with the home field still under repair (slowed by rains), the Lancers didn’t play a home match until January but were undefeated through the regular season. Playing in Division I, the Lancers advanced to the title game with three consecutive 1-0 victories, one in overtime, before falling to
JSerra, 2-0, in the title game.

Nothing stays the same, something Schade recognizes.

“I have always believed that kids will be kids. Each generation is different with so many factors contributing to those differences, but I believe young people will always end up respecting structure and discipline,” he said.

“The dynamics of the process and the bureaucracy will constantly change, so being able to figure out how to adapt and succeeds mirrors what you do as coaches in a single soccer match.”

While aware of the everchanging dynamics, that, Schade said, did not influence his decision to step away from the game.

“My retirement has only to do with it being time to move on to some new challenges,” he said.

For his day job, Schade teaches honors biology at Sunny Hills, something he says also still loves.

If he retires from teaching as well, he has plenty of options … more time with Mary, his wife of 34 years, who has steadfastly supported his coaching obsession, taking classes of interest are also on his list as are camping, hiking and fishing.

Then there is surfing. A collegiate surfer, the waves may call. “I haven’t been in the water for decades, so I might head back to doing that.”

There is at least one other thing on his “to do” list …

“Maybe you’ll find me sitting in the stands at a high school soccer match,” he said.

Mike Schade

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Head Coach: 35 years, 836 games (475-244-117; Freeway League, 350 games, 219-89-42). (Coached for a total of 38 seasons, three as assistant)

CIF playoffs: 29

CIF finals: 5

CIF champions: 2 (2016, 2022) (assistant in 1987)

State regionals: 5 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023) (tournament
started in 2008)

Honors: OC Register Coach of the Year: 2016; Los Angeles Times OC Coach of the Year: 1998; CIF Coach of the Year: 2016, 2022; 1998 Sunny Hills High School Teacher of the Year

All-CIF players: Coached 32 first team All CIF players including two CIF Players of
the Year and 64 players have participated in collegiate soccer

Freeway League: 17 Freeway League Titles, nine runnerup; undefeated seven times. Only team to win four consecutive Freeway League titles (2015-2018). team to go 10-0-0 (2023). Coached
212 All Freeway League Players. Coached 18 Freeway League Players of the Year.

Tournament Champions: Wildcat Cup, North Orange County Classic, Sunny Hills Tournament 1998 Sunny Hills High School Teacher of the Year

—Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone