OAKLAND – Four-time state champion Michael Peters has ended his retirement after four months and will coach the McClymonds football team again.
Peters, 55, had told his players and media in December that the Warriors’ loss in the 3-A NorCal title game was the last time he would lead the Oakland public school’s program.
The stress of coaching modern high school football, a desire to spend more time with his family and maintaining a healthier lifestyle, were all cited as reasons Peters stepped away from the program he has led since 2012.
So who convinced him to come back after accomplishing so much at his alma mater?
“The community did,” Peters told the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “And the kids need me. I need to get them back in study hall and those things.”
His family, which includes son and former NFL cornerback Marcus Peters, had something to do with the decision to return too.
“My son didn’t want me to leave anyways,” Peters said.
After months passed and Mack’s coaching position remained unfilled, the school asked Peters to come back.
“The school district wants to take care of me, and I love my school, too,” Peters said. “But I was going through some things, so I really had to think hard about it.”
Peters, who graduated from Mack in 1986 and started as an assistant coach in 1992, is the school’s outreach coordinator. He also coaches girls flag football and track and field at Mack.
“There’s always stuff on my plate,” Peters said. “My blood pressure is down, but I’ve got to think about my health too. I’m doing too much, so I’ve got to cut back on something.”
He declined to specify which responsibilities he would “cut down” on.
Peters is the elder statesman of the Oakland Athletic Section, leading a program that has won 11 consecutive league titles.
His 2023 team was untouchable in league play, outscoring opponents 251-0 in five running-clock victories. McClymonds has not lost in league play since 2009.
Despite not having a consistent passing attack and having a shaky offensive line, the Oakland powerhouse was still somehow a few plays away from making a sixth consecutive state championship game.
With four of the five other OAL schools having either first- or second-year coaches, a section championship and a spot in a regional game is still the expectation for Mack.
However, Peters said that he sees this year as a reset for the program. He mentioned that his last few teams have slipped from a work-ethic standpoint, and wants to restore the hard-working culture that made McClymonds championship winners.
“Yes, we want to put together a championship season, but what I want is to get the kid’s focus back, because Mack hasn’t been focused in a minute,” Peters said. “That’s what we’re going to get back.”