A 20-hour day is not an uncommon occurrence for a high school coach in Federal Way. Think about it: Most of these coaches also have a full-time job during the day and then spend their nights teaching the ins and outs of a sport.

The time away from their families is mind-boggling. But the influence these coaches have on a young person’s life is worth the hours and hours of time they put into scouting opponents, breaking down game film and putting together a plan for their next game.

Trust me, they don’t do it for the money.

According to the Federal Way School District, coaches at the four city high schools make between $2,000 and $5,166 during the course of a season. The stipend depends on what sport they coach and how many years they have spent as the head of the program.

For example, a head football coach in Federal Way can make between $4,391 and $5,166. This is mere peanuts compared to the hours a coach puts in during the course of a year.

Although it’s the student-athletes that get most of the attention on the sports page in the Federal Way Mirror, the coaches who are taking away time from their families deserve plenty of praise.

Here are a few coaches within the Federal Way School District who had outstanding seasons during the 2008-09 school year:

JEROME COLLINS, FEDERAL WAY BOYS BASKETBALL

The longtime head of the powerful Eagle basketball program has been coaching at Federal Way since the 1980s, which is before any of his current players were even a glint in their parents’ eyes. But the thousands of hours paid off this season when the Eagles won the program’s first-ever Class 4A state championship.

Federal Way downed the 11-time champion Garfield Bulldogs in the title game inside the Tacoma Dome, 62-54.

“This is our year,” Collins said after the game. “It’s a testament to our kids. They have great chemistry. This is one of the most unselfish ball clubs I have ever coached.”

During Collins’ tenure at the top of the Federal Way program, he has sent two players to the NBA in Michael Dickerson and Donny Marshall, as well as dozens of other players into big-time college basketball.

JOHN CASSENS, DECATUR GIRLS TENNIS

In just his second season at the helm of the Gator girls’ program, Cassens led Decatur to the Class 4A state team championship last month. The Gators tied with Kamiakin and Newport. Cassens’ daughter, Meghan, won the singles championship with a win over Lake Stevens’ Antonia Liebenow in the final. Decatur finished 12-2 during the SPSL South regular season.

JOHN MEAGHER, FEDERAL WAY FOOTBALL

Meagher led the Eagles into the Class 4A state playoffs for the first time in 33 years in the fall. Federal Way lost to the eventual state-champion Skyline Spartans in their opener after beating Gig Harbor in a state play-in game. The Eagles finished 7-2 in the SPSL North Division.

Meagher and the Eagles had a four-game losing streak in the preliminary round of the playoffs. Federal Way lost to Tahoma in 2000, Bothell in 2002, Gig Harbor in 2006 and Cascade in 2007.

“The monkey on my back was getting pretty big,” Meagher said after beating Gig Harbor. “We had been there four times before and hadn’t gotten it done. But tonight there was just a different feeling on the sideline than the other games. We kind of had the ‘deer in the headlights’ look in those games.”

SCOTT HAINES, BEAMER CROSS COUNTRY

The only head coach of both the Beamer cross country teams during the history of the school led the Titan boys and girls to a combined 14-2 mark in the SPSL South Division. Haines also coached two runners at the state cross country meet in the fall. The Titan boys finished in a three-way tie for the South title with a 7-1 record and the girls finished in second, also with a 7-1 record.

MIKE BRESSLER, DECATUR WRESTLING

The longtime Decatur wrestling coach led Decatur to a 6-2 record in the rugged SPSL South Division. Bressler also coached a pair of wrestlers who made it all the way to the state championship matches in their weight classes. Senior Tevyn Tillman won his second-straight 285-pound title, and 189-pounder Darren Faber lost to Auburn’s Jake Swartz in the championship.

DAVE HANSON, JEFFERSON BOYS SOCCER

The Mount Rainier graduate led the Raiders to the SPSL championship with an impressive 11-2-3 record in the North Division. Jefferson started the season 1-1-2 before losing only one more match the entire regular season. The Raiders beat Rogers in the SPSL title match, 3-2, before losing to Central Kitsap at the West Central District Tournament.

PAUL RUSTON, JEFFERSON CROSS COUNTRY

The longtime coach has turned the Jefferson cross country program into one of the most dominant in the state. The Raider girls have qualified for the state meet in each of the past eight years and finished 10th at the 2008 meet. The Jefferson boys and girls both finished 6-2 in the SPSL North this season.

BRENT BRILHANTE, BEAMER BOYS BASKETBALL

The Decatur grad led the Titans into the state basketball tournament for the first time in the school’s history. Beamer finished in fifth place in the nine-team SPSL South with a 9-7 record to snare the league’s final berth into the SPSL Tournament. But the postseason is when the young Titans came alive. Beamer won three games in a row at the West Central District Tournament, including a win over the powerful Bellarmine Prep Lions in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.

SAM BEESLEY, FEDERAL WAY BOYS TRACK

The Eagles head coach led the Federal Way boys to another perfect record in the SPSL North. It was the second year in a row that the Eagles finished as the SPSL North Division champions. Federal Way went on to place fifth at the Class 4A State Track and Field Meet.

DANNY GRAHAM, FEDERAL WAY GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Federal Way grad led his alma mater back to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time since 1998. The Eagles finished third in the SPSL North Division, but turned it on in the postseason. Federal Way advanced into the semifinals at the state tournament before losing to eventual state-champion Kentwood. The Eagles ended up finishing in third place, their highest since winning the state title in 1996.

KEVIN OLSON, DECATUR BOYS BASKETBALL

Olson led the Gators to their third consecutive trip to the Class 4A boys basketball tournament inside the Tacoma Dome. Decatur won the SPSL South Division championship.

RICK DENNISON, DECATUR GIRLS GOLF

The Gators won the SPSL Central Division title with a perfect 10-0 record. Dennison helped three girls from his team qualify for the Class 4A State Golf Championships, and Amanda Beyke finished up in 11th place at the tournament.

MALCOLM NEELY, BEAMER GIRLS SWIMMING

The Titans captured the SPSL South Division championship by finishing 8-0 in dual meets during the league season. Neely and Beamer went on to capture the state championship in the 200-yard freestyle relay and finished fourth in the team standings.

JAY CARDWELL, BEAMER GIRLS TRACK

The Titan girls won their second-straight SPSL South Division championship with a perfect 8-0 record.

CARRIE HENTCHELL, BEAMER GIRLS SOCCER

The Titans spent most of the season as the No. 1-ranked team in Washington. Beamer finished the regular season as the SPSL South champions before being upset at the West Central District Tournament. The Titans featured two Division I signees in Megan Miller (Oregon State) and Holland Crook (Arizona State).