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Varsity Coaches
Mike Papadopoulos
Head Coach

Mike Papadopoulos
Coach Pop is a 1986 graduate from Armijo High School. While at Armijo, Coach Pop participated in football, wrestling, track and baseball. Coach Pop attended UC Davis. Pop played football and rugby for the Aggies. Coach Pop has been coaching 21 years. He is entering his 3rd year as head varsity football coach. His current record is 30-6. Coach Papadopoulos led the Bulldogs to the MEL Championships in 2005, 2006. In 2006 , he led the Bulldogs to the Division 1 Sac-Joaquin Section Championship. He has also been the head track and field coach for the past 17 years. He is married to his wife Karen. They have two daughters Jessica (11) and Nicole (7).

Ryan Smith
Assistant Coach

Ryan Smith
Coach Smith (a.k.a.”Smitty”) is a 1995 graduate from Vacaville High School. While at Vacaville High, Coach Smith participated in football and track & field. Coach Smith attended Solano Community College and American River College. He later attended California State University of Sacramento, where he received his Bachelors, majoring in Social Science. He proceeded to obtain his Multiple Subject Credential and Special Education Credential as well. He also received his Masters degree in Cross Cultural Education from National University.
Coach Smith has coached continuously, both junior varsity and varsity football since 1995. He currently coaches defensive backs and wide receivers. He also currently coaches track & field where he works with sprinters and relay teams. Coach Smith is married to his wife Kate of six years. He has one son Ty.

Chris Santopadre
Assistant Coach

Chris Santopadre
Coach Santopadre is a 1995 graduate from Vacaville High School. He was an all league quarterback in football and an all league outfielder in baseball. Coach Santopadre attended Consumnes River JC, Solano Community College, Napa Valley Community College. He later attended California State University of Sacramento majoring History and earned his Masters degree in education from Chapman University. Coach Santopadre first coached football and baseball at Vacaville High School from 1998-2002, he then was the head football coach at Rodriguez in 2005 as well as coaching baseball. Coach Santopadre returned to coach football again at Vacaville High. He is also currently the head baseball coach.
Coach Santopadre is married to his wife Heather. They are proud parents of newborn twins daughter Emmaline and son Caden. Chris plans to strategically train his children to defeat all MEL foes in any sport his children choose to play. They have one dog named Option the Wonder dog. He currently teaches History at Vacaville High School. Coach Santopadre is quoted as saying that “we need to score at least one more point than our opponent” and “offense sells tickets, Defense wins games, Special teams win Championships.”

Mike Kassis
Assistant Coach

Mike Kassis
Coach Kassis is 1987 graduate from Shasta high school located in Redding, California. While at Shasta, Coach Kassis was student body president, team captain and all league linebacker in football. He also participated in baseball, wrestling and track. While at UC Davis, Coach Kassis played defensive lineman. Coach Kassis received his Masters in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt College. Coach Kassis is a physical therapist. He also owns Solano Sports Physical Therapy and Solano Sports Performance Training. He has also spent the last 12 years volunteering his clinic training room for Vacaville High and Will C. Wood athletes. Coach Kassis has coached the Central little league for 10 years. He has also coach in both the Vacaville youth football Bulldog and Bengal programs the past eight years. Coach Kassis has assisted on with the freshman and junior varsity baseball teams. He has also coached freshman, junior varsity and varsity football. Currently Coach Kassis coaches the linebackers and offensive line.
Coach Kassis has four children, Jake (18), Jesse (15), Carly (12), Joey (10). Coach Kassis is quoted as saying that “he loves the Philadelphia Phillies and hates the designated hitter.” His life time goal is to win the World Series of Poker.

Steve Green
Assistant Coach

Steve Green
Coach Green is a 1974 graduate of James Russell Lowell High School located in San Francisco. Coach Green was a three year letterman in football and basketball. After attending Lowell, Coach Green attended UC Davis where he played offensive tackle.
Coach Green is entering his 30th year of coaching football. He was a freshman football assistant at UC Davis, junior varsity football coach from 1979-1984. He has been on the varsity staff since 1985. He has also been an assistant track coach working with the throwers since 1994.
Coach Green is currently an English teacher and freshman intervention dean.

Rudy Montalvo
Assistant Coach

Rudy Montallvo
Rudy is a graduate from Lodi High School. While at Lodi High, Coach Montalvo played football and baseball. After graduating from Lodi High, Coach Montalvo attended Sacramento State and played center and linebacker. Coach Montalvo taught in Vacaville for 35 years and is now retired. He has coached for over 40 years starting in 1964. Coach Montalvo has coached football, basketball, track & field, wrestling and softball. Coach Montalvo is married to his wife Kay. They have two daughters Kim and Kari. He also has four grand children Kayla, Kamren, Kaylee, Kaylynn.

George Ripley
Assistant Coach

George Ripley
Coach Ripley is a graduate from Monta Vista High School in Cupertino. While in high school, Coach Ripley was an all league and all county honorable mention tight end and defensive end. He also wrestled and threw the discus on the track team. Coach Ripley went on to play center at Idaho State University. Coach Ripley was a graduate assistant at Idaho State University for two years. He also has coached football at Vacaville Christian for five years. He is in his first year coaching at Vacaville High School. Coach Ripley is an associate Pastor of worship at Crossroads Christian Church. He is married to his wife Maylene. They have two children Ian and Christianna.

Fred Jones
Assistant Coach
Fred Jones
Fred Jones is a graduate of James Lick High School in San Jose, California. He attended San Jose City College, San Jose State University and received his BA in Physical Education from Chico State College in 1969. Jones received his teaching Credential in 1970 and started his teaching and coaching career at Dunsmuir High School, serving as head football coach.
Fred Jones arrived at Vacaville HS in 1973, taking a position as Head JV Coach from 1973 to 1978. In 1979, he moved up to the Varsity and worked as an assistant to Tom Zunino until 1998, when he took over as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. Jones was head coach for 6 years, winning three MEL Championships and combined with a 47-17-1 overall record and a 35-7 MEL record. Upon stepping down, Coach Jones stayed on as Athletic Director at VHS and returned to his duties as an assistant coach. Jones is credited with bringing the Wing-T offensive system to Vacaville High. Throughout his coaching and teaching career, Jones has coached a number of sports including: Varsity Tennis, Wrestling, Softball and founded the school's Rugby club in 1984. While coaching Rugby, Jones' teams won 7 Sac Valley Championships and one Nor Cal State Championship and was runner up in Northern California once. He taught History, Math and Geography along with Physical Education during his 37-year teaching career. Jones retired as a teacher in 2007, but continues as co-athletic director entering his 2nd year in that capacity. . Fred has been married to his wife Linda for 36 years. They have a daughter Stephanie, who is head of the Art Department at Will C Wood HS. Fred also has 2 dogs, Reina and Beau.

Bert Brown
Assistant Coach

Bert Brown
Bert Brown is a 1991 graduate of Victorville High School. During high school, he participated in football, where earned All League honors as a receiver, and also played on the basketball team. After high school, he attended American River College and competed in football for the beavers as a defensive back.

Bert has coached in Vacaville since 1995 in numerous sports including: Football, Basketball (Head Girls Coach), Baseball, and Track (Head Coach), with the majority of his tenure at Will C Wood HS. Regarded as one of the best jumps coaches in the section, he has helped numerous athletes to the state meet and also coached former Wood athlete Marvin Brown to the state long jump title in 1999. Coach Brown has also worked in the offseason with numerous Division 1 football players, specializing in receiver and defensive back play, by helping train them to further develop their skills before they return to school.

Bert has worked for the Vacaville Unified School District as a campus supervisor since 1995. He is single. Coach Brown does have family in Vacaville which includes his mother Dolly, Sisters Latresa and Rotonda, nieces Daiza and Amara, and nephew Lorenzo.