A really good thing happened in 1980 for Umatilla High School and the surrounding community: Tony Villanueva was hired to teach and coach.

In the 25 years since, he has done plenty of both and so much more. He is an institution in the school and community.

He has coached football, basketball, baseball and golf in the high school. He has coached boys and girls Little League and AAU basketball. He has been mayor of Umatilla, acting principal of the high school and golf course men’s club president.

Need someone to drive kids to an event, chaperone a dance, donate time and money to a fund-raiser? Tony is your guy. Know a kid who needs a meal, a place to sleep, a surrogate father? Lucky for you there’s always Tony.

Tony can’t and won’t say no to anyone, especially a kid.

Three years ago Tony begged the school board to let him start and coach a high school golf team. The board finally let him if he agreed to doing so without a salary, not seek school funding and pay for a substitute the days he needed to be gone for matches.

Of course he agreed.

This year, 28 kids turned out for golf and now the school pays for the substitute.

So how appreciated is Tony V by the powers that be at Umatilla High School?

He applied for the vacant girl’s varsity basketball coach. Not only did they not give him the job, they gave it to someone with no head coaching experience. And on the day of the decision, Tony got to walk down the halls of the high school and hear from students and teachers how sorry and outraged they were he didn’t get the job – he was the last to know.

Tony has given more to his profession and community than most of us can imagine. He does as much as he does because he loves kids and he loves giving. He doesn’t want or get much recognition or thanks.

He certainly deserved better than he got from the high school administration. If he wants to coach varsity girls basketball or junior varsity tiddlywinks, he has earned that right.

David L. Olson

Hermiston