MacMillan enjoying his return to St. Helena

He has been here before -- as in the West sideline at Patterson Memorial Field at St. Helena High.

He’s back for another tour of duty. He’s Ian MacMillan. The 1997 Justin-Siena High graduate is well-travelled on the coaching front in the Napa Valley: (1999-2003, JV head coach Justin-Siena; 2004-2006, varsity head coach St. Helena High; 2007-2009, defensive coordinator Napa High; 2010; JV head coach American Canyon High 2010; American Canyon High varsity head coach 2011-2013; Napa High assistant coach 2015-2016).

MacMillan’s last coaching stint did not end well, not so much for him personally but what had in association. With regard to Napa High football, the program had alleged hazing incidents. The extent of what took place is open to conjecture but it led to a power struggle between now former head coach Troy Mott, who is a close friend of MacMillan, and the Napa High administration and Napa Valley Unified School District. Mott and the entire staff walked out. MacMillan and fellow assistant Kirk Anderson, who is now on Larry Singer’s American Canyon staff, were qualified to replace Mott based on varsity experience. Both said no.

Though in a lesser role, MacMillan is back in familiar yet different territory. He enjoyed a tenure of leading his teams to a 21-11 record in three years, two of which included CIF North Coast Section playoff appearances, as Saints varsity head coach. MacMillan resigned and the ill-fated Dave Collinsworth era ensued. The Saints went 2-8. Five months after a nationwide search concluded, Brandon Farrell emerged. He has been here for a decade. In these parts, Saints fans knew coaching changes very well. The football program underwent 13 changes in 28 years. Farrell, who enters Friday’s road game at Fort Bragg with a 79-33 record, has ended that trend. The program needed a JV coach with David Bos moving back to his home state (Michigan).

MacMillan applied for a teaching job at St. Helena, which also accompanied a coaching position. The Saints are midway through their JV season with a record of 4-0-1.

“Brandon has done a great job here,” MacMillan said. “I’m glad to be part of it. We have a great staff. We’re all on the same page. The kids, the administration are great. Now, we’ve got FieldTurf. Everything has improved. It’s amazing how far they have come in 11 years. The environment around the school is great.”

MacMillan’s situation here is also different. He was teaching at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School. With his current position, he is at St. Helena High in the math department with Farrell. The landscape has similarities with Tom Hoppe as athletic director and differences, Ben Scinto is the principal and Greg Fetters as vice principal. Jim Zoll and Julie Synyard were in those positions when MacMillan was here previously.

“The school system is great up here as far as supporting teachers,” MacMillan said. “I’m a teacher first, coach second. Working with the people I get to work with such as the teachers, Mr. Scinto, Mr. Fetters and Brandon and his staff along with being back with Tom. All of the pieces are here.”

Throughout his career, MacMillan has learned from various great coaches like Mott at Napa, Rich Cotruvo and Steve Vargus at Justin. Vargus is St. Helena’s defensive coordinator now. MacMillan values what he has learned from Farrell since joining forces in May.

“Brandon has established a great culture as far as the attitude, the weight-room, the work ethic, all of those things are amazing,” MacMillan said. “I know how much work it takes because I’ve had to do it at other schools. It’s nice to come into a system where it is already built. I’m very lucky to have worked with some great people that make me a better coach and brandon is one of them.”

Though MacMillan is known as a varsity coach, JV is not foreign to him.  Justin went 38-11-1 under his guidance. American Canyon was 6-4.

“It’s still all about coaching kids,” MacMillan said. “You’re still teaching life lessons. I don’t have an ego in that I don’t have to be a varsity coach. That’s not important to me. Football is a teaching tool for life and I can teach things I can’t teach in the classroom. In football, you have to put other people before yourself. The kids don’t know a lot of football, now they are picking things up and telling me things. It’s great to see.”