Mike Dorunda has received high marks as a high school coach, educator and administrator since graduating from Westfield State 40 years ago. 

While attending Westfield State, the Westfield resident was a key performer as a stalwart defender on the Owls’ first two soccer teams. In Westfield’s inaugural soccer season in 1964, Westfield captured the New England State Conference championship. Westfield was edged for the conference crown during Dorunda’s senior season in 1965. The Owls compiled a 19-5-1 record, including a 14-1-1 conference mark, during Dorunda’s two-year collegiate career. 

The Easthampton native earned an associate degree from Holyoke Junior College in 1964, a bachelor of arts in education from Westfield State in 1966, and a master’s degree in secondary school administration from Westfield State in 1974. 

Dorunda’s collegiate academic and athletic endeavors have served him well. He has coached high school soccer for 32 years, with a stellar record of 384 wins, 109 losses, and 67 ties heading into the 2006 season. He has a .746 winning percentage with only one losing season. 

Since 1996 he has coached girls’ varsity soccer at Hampshire Regional High School to a 136-29-28 record, including five Central Division championships, 10 Western Mass. tournament appearances, and a Western Mass. championship in 2005. 

Dorunda began the boys’ soccer program at Hampshire Regional in 1971 and coached the team through the 1988 season. He guided Hampshire to one state championship, two Western Mass. titles, 14 Western Mass. tournament appearances, and six league championships. 

Dorunda took a four-year hiatus from coaching to watch his oldest son and daughter play soccer at Westfield High School. Dorunda returned to the coaching ranks in 1993 at Westfield High School, mentoring his two younger daughters as he led the girls’ soccer team to a three-year record of 43-8-7 and three Kurty Division championships. 

Dorunda also is recognized locally and statewide as a highly respected administrator. In August of 2003 he retired after 38 years of service to the Hampshire Regional School District, including the final 20 years as an assistant principal. He was a history teacher from 1971-1983 at Hamsphire Regional and a middle school teacher in Southampton from 1966 to 1971. 

He served as the Western Mass. soccer tournament committee chairman of the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference (PVIAC) for 20 years. He was a member of the PVIAC executive board and the PVIAC representative to the state soccer committee. 

Dorunda served on the MIAA state soccer committee for 20 years; he was the chairman from 1995 to 2003 and the assistant chair from 1987-1995. As a member of the committee, he played a primary role in revising the soccer rules and regulations that addressed the issues of violence and unsportsmanlike behavior. 

Dorunda has received numerous honors for his coaching and administrative accomplishments. He has garnered Coach of the Year awards three times and received two letters of commendation from soccer officials associations. He also has been cited by the PVIAC and MIAA committees. And in 2004, the new soccer field at Hampshire Regional High School was dedicated as the “Michael Dorunda Field”. 

Dorunda and his wife, Karen, have been married for 38 years. They are the parents of four grown children - Kristin, Michael, Rebecca and Allison – and they have three grandchildren.