Mike Moropoulos was truly a man for all seasons. He coached football, swimming, baseball, and golf. He fished for calico bass and trout. He dived for lobster and abalone. He hunted pheasants and ducks.
In all those pursuits, Mike preached and practiced good sportsmanship. You must observe the rules and regulations. You do not demean your competitors. You do not catch more than you can eat (or give to friends for their meals). You take both victory and defeat — whether it’s winning a big game or getting skunked on a long day’s fishing trip — with gratitude and humility.
Moropoulos instilled those values during a 35-year career as a coach, teacher, and administrator at Santa Barbara High. There was no other school that mattered to the Los Angeles native after he graduated with a teaching credential from UCSB, where he was captain and MVP of the Gaucho football team in 1954. He proclaimed his devotion with a vehicular tattoo, a personalized license plate that read: SB DONS. His wardrobe consisted of various combinations of the school’s colors, olive green and gold.