(Mountain View, CA) – Saint Francis High School announces the retirement of Mike Oakland from his role as head varsity Softball coach, bringing to a close one of the most decorated coaching careers in the history of the West Catholic Athletic League. Oakland, who served the Lancers as both Head Baseball Coach and Head Softball Coach over the past two decades, will remain at Saint Francis as a Health and Fitness educator and continue his contributions to the school's athletics department.
 

"It has been a privilege of mine to teach and coach at Saint Francis High School for the past two decades," said Oakland. "I am deeply grateful to every athlete, parent, assistant coach, administrator, colleague and supporter who has been part of this incredible journey. The wins and championships were special, but the relationships built along the way have been the true reward. Although I'm ending my coaching career, I'm grateful to remain part of the Lancer community and serve the school in new ways."

Coach Oakland arrived at Saint Francis in 2007, bringing with him more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara University. Over his tenure as head baseball coach, Coach Oakland transformed the Lancers into one of Northern California's premier programs, capturing three Central Coast Section titles and an extraordinary six consecutive West Catholic Athletic League championships. His sustained excellence earned him the California Coaches Association Coach of the Year award in 2014.

In 2017, Coach Oakland made the bold and deeply personal decision to step away from a championship baseball program to take over a Saint Francis softball team that had finished 0-12 in WCAL play the previous season. Motivated in part by his daughters' passion for the sport, he embraced the challenge of rebuilding the program from the ground up. 

Within two seasons, the Lancers were CCS champions. Under Coach Oakland's leadership, Saint Francis softball claimed multiple CCS Open Division titles, multiple WCAL championships, and in 2022 claimed the inaugural CIF NorCal Division I championship with a 6-0 victory over Clovis. At their peak, the Lancers posted a 31-2 record and were ranked among the top teams in the nation. The Bay Area News Group named Oakland its Softball Coach of the Year. Coach Oakland was also named CCS Honor Coach for softball in 2020. 

"Coach Oakland raised the level of high school baseball and softball coaching at Saint Francis and in the section," said Athletic director Matt Maguire. "There was no one more organized and prepared to run a practice or compete in a game than Mike and I am excited to have him continue to share those traits with our coaching staff. I want to thank him and his family, especially Dina his wife, for sharing him with us over all these years and the many sacrifices that took."

Among the most treasured chapters of Coach Oakland's coaching tenure was the privilege of coaching his own daughters in a Saint Francis Lancer uniform. His eldest daughter, Jessica, earned the 2022 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year award, only the second player from the CCS to receive that honor. She later went on to play at Duke University. His younger daughter, Jaime Oakland, also wore the Lancer uniform with pride, being named WCAL player of the year four times and will continue her softball career at Nebraska this fall. Coach Oakland now looks forward to dedicating his time to support his youngest daughter Jordan, a rising junior at Saint Francis, and level 10 gymnast, as she competes on the national level. 

Vice Principal for Campus Life, Michael Pilawski shared, "Mike has been an outstanding educator here at Saint Francis High School in so many ways. It has been a joy and privilege to watch him coach and though we will miss his presence on the field, we know his impact on our school and our athletic program will continue. Mike should be so proud of the teams he has mentored over the years and for the success and impact they have made on and off the field."

Saint Francis High School extends its deepest gratitude to Coach Oakland for his dedication to Lancer athletics and the countless student-athletes whose lives he has shaped. His legacy will be measured not only in championships won, but in the generations of young people he has mentored, inspired and challenged to be their best.

Interested candidates can apply HERE or email mattmaguire@sfhs.com for more information. 

About Saint Francis Athletics

Saint Francis High School has a renowned legacy of extraordinary athletic success. Student-athletes play in the WCAL (West Catholic Athletic League), SCVAL (Santa Clara Valley Athletic League), BVAL (Blossom Valley Athletic League) and WBAL (West Bay Athletic League), some of the most competitive athletic leagues in the state of California. The Saint Francis athletics program has been named the Cal-Hi State School of the Year four times and has. accumulated 13 team CIF-State crowns, 4 individual state titles, 35 CIF-NorCal championships, 200 team CCS titles and 388 league championships. The school colors are brown and white and the mascot is the Lancer.

About Saint Francis High School

Founded in 1955 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, Saint Francis High School is a leading co-educational, diverse, Catholic, college preparatory school focused on educating the whole person. With a proven reputation for excellence in academics, athletics and the arts, the 118-member teaching staff prepare approximately 1,760 Saint Francis students for the rigors of college and the challenges of global citizenship in the enduring Holy Cross tradition. Saint Francis offers 162 courses in a traditional college preparatory curriculum spread across ten academic departments. Saint Francis is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National Catholic Education Association, the College Board and the National Association of College Admissions Counselors. Located in Mountain View, California, Saint Francis High School is in the heart of Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.sfhs.com.

Press Contacts

Matt Maguire '98

Athletic Director                              

mattmaguire@sfhs.com

Jamie Perkins '97

Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications

jamieperkins@sfhs.com