A five-minute bike commute to work is hard to beat in any profession. But throw in a new house in a safe, community environment, on the Stanford campus, and you’ve got something special. At least, that’s how about 20 Cardinal coaches and support staff feel about a new housing complex built by Stanford alumnus John Arrillaga, with help from several generous donors.

Located near El Camino Real on Olmsted Road, there are 25 custom-built homes clustered in an area called Olmsted by most coaches and staff. The project took about 2½ years to complete at a cost of about $20.2 million, and it has literally changed the lives of many Stanford coaches. Three of the units are rented out to others at the university, as chosen by the Faculty Staff Housing office and the provost.

 “Absolutely,” said offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren. “We’ve joked around, calling it everything from the ‘Coaches Grotto’ to ‘Arrillaga Village.’ No matter how you look at it, it makes this job go from being a very good job to an outstanding job. Not just for us, but for our families.”

 That’s because Bay Area housing remains expensive, especially for newcomers to the area. In past years, many coaches have been stuck with long commutes, which are not only time-consuming, expensive, and stressful, but take them away from their families and interaction with student-athletes.

 “I had heard horror stories about Stanford in the past, where people had to live 45 minutes away because it was the only place they could find housing to fit their family in,” Bloomgren said.

 Not anymore.

 “If we have 40 minutes, we shoot home for dinner,” said Bloomgren. “In this business, with the hours we work, those are priceless deals with young kids. I have two little boys. Any time I can get home for dinner and actually see them awake is invaluable to me.”

 Derek Mason, the associate head football coach and co-defensive coordinator, loves his new home. He can’t imagine a better living situation.

 “It’s been tremendous,” he said. “Stanford always does everything first-class and it’s an outstanding project. They really did a great job of making it family-friendly. Not only does it help the coaching staff, it allows you to feel like you’re in a community-within-a-community. When you look at how it is set up for our wives and kids, it’s huge.”

 It didn’t take long for families from all sports to start interacting.

 “Our kids are able to interact and develop relationships,” said offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

 Field hockey coach Tara Danielson and her husband/assistant coach Steve live in Olmsted and enjoy the atmosphere and location. They moved in last April.

 “This is the most beautiful campus in the country and you’re able to be a part of that,” she said. “We have a neighborhood of people we trust and respect. That is pretty priceless.”

 All of the homes feature many amenities.

 “These houses are beautiful,” said Danielson. “I mean, really, really special. You can only understand that if you walk around here. Mr. Arrillaga put some thought and care into it. There’s a difference between building four walls and building a home. Not cookie cutter. Craftsmanship and care.”

 Johnny Dawkins, the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball, and his family live in Olmsted. His toughest decision of the day is whether to walk or ride his bike to work.

 “I think the housing has been amazing,” Dawkins said. “It’s afforded us an opportunity as coaches to really immerse ourselves in the Stanford community. By living on campus, we’re better able to support our student-athletes even more by being around.”

 More than once, Dawkins has invited a recruit into his home.

 “It’s nice knowing they don’t have to travel or traverse any kind of roads or long distance,” he said. “It’s a bike ride or walk from campus. It’s a much more secure environment and it’s very convenient for the student-athlete.”

 Hamilton said the new homes have made a huge difference in being able to find and keep quality coaches.

 “When Coach (Jim) Harbaugh first contacted me about possibly joining the staff at Stanford, the overall quality of life was one of the biggest concerns for my wife and I,” said Hamilton. “We have three kids. But when he mentioned there was something in place to help the coaches with their transition and live a comfortable lifestyle in an amazing climate and environment, it was kind of a no-brainer.”

 Credit Arrillaga for making it happen.

 “John visited the site every day and made sure every unit was different,” said Ray Purpur, Deputy Director of Athletics. “He took great care in the project and personally selected every finish.”

Arrillaga was committed to making Olmsted a community that will have long-term benefits for coaches, staff, and student athletes at Stanford.

 “Given the housing prices in the Bay Area, it has long been a challenge to attract and retain coaches for many of our athletic programs,” he said. “With the construction of Olmsted, we have helped solve that problem by creating affordable housing within close proximity of campus, allowing coaches to spend more quality time with their student-athletes and families. We feel this is a win-win situation and are grateful to all who helped make this become a reality.”

 People like Bill and Tish Kartozian.

 “When the opportunity came along, some of us were asked to step up in support,” said Bill, a 1960 Stanford alumnus and former Buck/Cardinal Club Board member. “This was a cause that was dear to Bob Bowlsby (The Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics). I think a great deal of Bob, so my wife and I were pleased to step up and help support this effort.”

 In years past, Bill commuted from Palo Alto to Walnut Creek, and he knows firsthand what some of the coaches were going through.

 “It would drive me absolutely nuts,” he said. “I absolutely appreciate the benefits of a short commute.”

 Greg Penner, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus and key donor to the project, got involved because of the challenge of trying to help world-class student-athletes receive coaching from world-class coaches in a challenging economic climate.

 “We had some coaches who had to live in some far, far away places and that really weren’t a part of the Stanford community,” said Penner. “The sense of community was a huge plus. There are a number of reasons to be excited about it and it’s great to be involved with it.”

 After coaching and meeting for 12 hours, Mason said it is a great feeling to jump on his bike and be home in five minutes.

 “At the end of the day, I truly believe this is a spectacular move by the development department and everybody here at Stanford University to extend an arm to the coaches and allow them to have a normal family life,” he said.

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