Smith retiring as athletic director, football coach at Mountain View

Mountain View football coach and athletic director Shelley Smith is retiring.

“The hardest part was giving up the coaching, that was my favorite part of the job,” the 65-year-old Smith said. “But it was the right time. A good opportunity for my wife and I to do some of the things we’ve been putting off while we still have our health.”

Smith, a Saratoga High alum and former assistant coach at that school, has been the head coach and A.D. at Mountain View for nine years.

“I wanted to finish the last two football classes we had,” Smith said. “That was a special group. We got caught up in all that COVID stuff, but we’re in a very good spot, taken some steps forward. The foundation is laid for someone to come in and build on it.”

When Smith was hired it was for a three-part position: football coach, athletic director and physical education teacher. The current job posting has separated the football coaching position from the other two. Tim Lugo, the longtime head coach at Saratoga who Smith served under as defensive coordinator, has been hired to fill the A.D. and teaching positions.

“I hope whoever gets hired as football coach will be on campus,” Smith said. “I don’t want to see all the hard work we put in the last nine years turned upside down. We have great kids at Mountain View, hard workers, dedicated.”

Smith said his retirement plans include travel to see his grandchildren in Texas, “more than two or three times a year.” And he does have one more coaching assignment before sailing off into the sunset. He will coach the North in the Santa Clara County Charlie Wedemeyer all-star game on Feb. 5 at Los Gatos.