After 26 years of coaching high school and college soccer, Mountlake Terrace High School teacher George Dremousis decided it was time to step away from the game for awhile. As it turns out, that departure from coaching last just a few months, as Dremousis is back on the soccer pitch again, this time as the MTHS boys soccer head coach.

The Hawks open their 2014 season on Friday, March 21, with a match against the Sammamish Totems at Sammamish High School. First kick is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

After eight seasons serving as an assistant coach at Terrace, Dremousis took over the head coaching duties at Shoreline Community College in 2001, then jumped up to coach Trinity Lutheran College in Everett for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Citing a desire to spend more time with his wife and 3-year-old son, Dremousis resigned from Trinity late last fall.

“I really enjoyed coaching college, but after 26 season of being away every weekend recruiting, coaching or traveling, I decided I didn’t want to miss seeing my boy grow up,” Dremousis said.

While committing himself to be a husband and father first and foremost, Dremousis knew coaching might get added back into the mix eventually, but only under the right conditions. “The only other position I had any interest in was in coming back to lead MTHS,” he confessed. “But they had a coach in place, so I figured I’d take a few years off and see if the job ever came open.”

The Terrace boys soccer coaching spot would open up, much earlier than Dremousis ever imagined it would. The team’s coach resigned from the position about three weeks ago, “and I immediately expressed interest,” Dremousis said.

Dremousis takes over a program that struggled last year, winning just two of 16 matches. Despite the history of last year’s squad, Dremousis is ready for the challenge.

“I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Hawks this season as we attempt to rebuild the program’s strength and reputation,” he said. “I’ve been very impressed and encouraged by the hard work, discipline and dedication by the team over the past week.”

While returning junior midfielders Ivan Melchor and Alec Somers will be key players for the Hawks this season, Dremousis likes how the entire team is coming together as a unit. “It’s the overall balance of the squad that impresses me the most,” he stated. “Sometimes these types of teams can ultimately do better because they don’t get caught up relying on just one or two guys to carry them all season.”

“They possess a good combination of experience, leadership and youth,” Dremousis added about his squad.

The opportunity to coach at the school where he has been teaching for 20 years certainly ignited Dremousis’ passion for the game again. “I couldn’t be more pleased, excited and enthused to be back on the sideline at MTHS, and I hope to put a product on the field that’s fun to watch for parents and fans of soccer alike,” he said.

You can view the entire 2014 MTHS boys soccer schedule here.

— By Doug Petrowski