“Don’t wish. Do.”

For 43 years, Coach Bill Sumner has been following his own advice, coaching athletes at Corona del Mar High School to be their very best. The long-time cross country and track and field coach, known for his sayings and his stories, encouraged young men and women to build their muscles, their minds, and their character while running around the track, on nearby trails, and at meets and races throughout Orange County and beyond.

“Coachisms” such as “Success at anything will always come down to this. Focus and Effort. We control both” are hallmarks of the legendary coach’s career, which includes running thousands of miles and spending thousands of hours with his athletes, achieving great success.

Consider the following stats:

2 National Titles
8 State Championships
14 CIF-Southern Section Titles
27 Olympic Trial Qualifiers
California State Coach of the Year
Orange County Coach of the Year
Corona del Mar Coach of the Year
Finalist for the national High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 2008
Coaching the 4x100 meter relay team to a new school record at the end of the 2026 season

Known simply as “Coach,” you may have seen the familiar silhouette of the lean man with a mustache, glasses and baseball cap, often in a running tank top and shorts in warmer months, and a blue warm up jacket and black pants in cooler months.

And, you’ve likely noticed him running with his athletes down Eastbluff Drive, along the trails of the Back Bay and Crystal Cove, or if you’ve competed in the Corona del Mar 5k or another local race, he probably beat you. The 78-year-old continues to run and compete with intensity.

He’s the only person I know that could get more than 100 teenagers out of bed in the summertime to meet for summer running at 6:30 a.m. on Ocean Blvd. in Corona del Mar. The Summer Running Club was open to all CdM athletes, looking to build endurance and stay in shape. It also encouraged more than a few parents to get out and start the day with an early run as well. Everyone has a story about Coach and Coach has a story for everything.

His presence was felt daily during the school year, on the track of Corona del Mar High School, where he imparted wisdom and encouragement to his teams. Initially hired as the Cross Country and Track Team Coach in 1984, Coach has the longest tenure out of any sport at Corona del Mar High School and the longest in NMUSD.

“Throughout his illustrious 43-year career, Coach Sumner has left an indelible footprint on our students’ lives and hearts. He didn’t just build the nationally renowned Sea King running program… he cultivated generations of remarkable young adults who know how to dig deep when the running gets tough, who understand that resilience isn’t just about crossing the finish Line but getting back up for the next race. Coach is legendary, and his legacy will be forever ingrained here at Corona del Mar High School and in the Newport-Mesa school district,” said Carol Crane, School Board Member.

Celebrating the legend at the track named for him on June 6 were more than 150 current and former CdM athletes, parents, coaches and administrators, along with Sumner's wife, Mary Ellen, and his two sisters and niece. The event was organized by Stephanie Walsh, mom of one of Sumner’s top athletes in 2025 and a former PTA president, who knew how to get the word out to honor the man who has given his life to improving the lives of others.

Named the Bill Sumner Track in 2022 after the Newport-Mesa Unified School District unanimously voted to name the blue track after him, it is a fitting tribute to the man who began advocating for a new facility years before it became reality.

Karen Yelsey, former President of the NMUSD Board, was one of the biggest advocates for naming the track in Sumner’s honor. Her son, Josh, competed for Sumner and still stays in touch with him. This seems to be a familiar road for many who still call on coach for advice.

“Any time I faced challenges during my freshman year of college, I would call Coach, and he would answer,” Max Douglass said during the celebration. Douglass, a cross country and track athlete who set a new school record in 2025 in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:07.65 and placed 6th in California at the CIF State Championships, formed a special bond with Coach. The record had held for 36 years before Max and Coach found success together. Douglass now attends and competes at the University of Notre Dame.

The seeds of encouragement and care that Coach has planted in his athletes’ souls are reflected in the tree planted at the track in the early 2000s. “I think the kids planted that tree in 2001 and the bench came shortly afterward,” Coach said. “I remember it is just a small little oak tree – not much to look at but each day it has grown just like we all should, to be bigger and to be stronger.”

Coach’s shoes will be nearly impossible to fill. In addition to coaching at CdM full time, he also created the Magic Shoe Foundation, a non-profit that has supplied more than 150,000 pairs of shoes to those in need. Coach and Mary Ellen have been collecting, cleaning and distributing gently used athletic shoes to underprivileged students, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens across Orange County through community donations and volunteer help.

His heart for helping others and serving his community came from a challenging upbringing. Emancipated at 14, running and sports were his way of surviving in a tough neighborhood. Drafted into the Army, he spent three years in Vietnam between 1968-70. Aside from one year coaching at Edison High School, he has spent 99% of his career at CdM.

While the students and teams at Corona del Mar High School will no longer benefit from Coach’s wisdom, Cal Coast, the running club he founded in 1985 will continue under his leadership. So if you see him running, give him a wave and a smile. You’re seeing a legend in motion.

And remember, in the words of Coach Bill Sumner:

“LIfe is simple. Never Never Never Give up.

The price of progress is being uncomfortable.

Make progress every day.

It doesn’t matter what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you that matters.”