The field is lit and the stands are crowded with fans—family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, and scouts. Cheerleaders decked out in navy, crimson, and silver are stunting and chanting in sync with the marching band’s music as the stadium awaits the kickoff. The anticipation grows.

In the background, an elite team of athletes are going through pre-game rituals and drills to prepare for the competition ahead, and coaches are discussing plays. As these activities progress, the maestro of the operatic performance, the man pulling the levers behind the curtain, is plotting for success.

For the 2022 season, the Yorba Linda High School Mustang Varsity Football team became the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section (SS) Division 3 (D3) Champions. The Mustangs were undefeated Crestview League champions (10-0 record) prior to winning every game of the CIF SS playoffs and finishing with a 14-0 record. Their only loss was against Liberty in the state semi-finals.

What is the secret behind the Mustangs’ sustained excellence? The question should be “who” rather than “what,” and the answer is none other than Head Coach Jeff Bailey.

Coach Bailey began playing football his freshman year in high school, and continued throughout his college career at UCLA. He started coaching in 1992 and has been a head coach for 18 years. When asked what inspired him to become a football coach, he said “I love the sport and I love being competitive, but I also want to give back to the kids what the sport gave to me.” 

He has been Yorba Linda’s Head Football Coach since its inaugural year—13 football seasons. 

According to Cal-Hi Sports, Coach Bailey has the highest winning percentage (78.5%) out of all of the active coaches in Orange County with a 150-41 overall record, one of the highest in the state.

Coach Augie Oropeza (Staff) has been coaching for five years alongside Coach Bailey. He says that “I know that Coach Bailey is a winner, and that people can really learn from him, especially since he came from UCLA…and [he] has been a big part of the reason why I’ve come [to YLHS].”

Coach Augie says that Coach Bailey fosters an environment to help “create well disciplined, successful adults, a byproduct of which is winning a lot of football games.” 

He also enjoys the “pro-style offense” deployed by the head coach which involves teaching players different plays that are more complex than the ones high school teams usually use, in a manner akin to the NFL.