PORT ANGELES — One-third of the North Olympic Peninsula’s high schools are now in the market for new head football coaches.
Port Angeles’ Tom Wahl, Forks’ Mark Feasel and Crescent’s Darrell Yount have each submitted resignations to their respective schools.
Wahl said his resignation didn’t come willingly.
“I didn’t resign because I wanted to, I resigned because I was told my contract wouldn’t be renewed,” Wahl said Monday.
“It wasn’t by choice, but that’s what I was encouraged to do.
“I was told I wouldn’t be hired so resigning would be the best option. What do you do in that situation?”
Wahl recently completed his fifth season as Port Angeles’ head coach with a 23-28 record.
The Roughriders advanced to the postseason in three of his five seasons, including the three-team Olympic League tiebreaker in November that ultimately was won by Kingston.
Wahl expressed frustration with the process that led to his resignation, and the lack of representation by players and their parents in that process.
Wahl didn’t want to beg players, their parents and other members of the community to show support for him at the next school board meeting, as happened with since-departed boys basketball coach Brent Stephens last spring.
The school board meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Central Services Building at 216 East Fourth Street.
But should such support provide him the chance, Wahl said he would be open to retaining his position as the Riders head football coach.
“If the public thinks highly enough of me, then I would gladly continue to coach,” Wahl said.
But, Wahl added, “It’s really important to me that I have the support of the administration in place to do the job well.”
When Wahl was hired in 2010, the Riders were coming off a winless season and a continuously revolving door of head coaches.
Wahl promised to bring much-needed stability to the Port Angeles football program.
“I think I’ve done some good stuff and I’m proud of that,” Wahl added. “I love PA and I’ll always be here.”
Wahl was most proud of things he had accomplished off the field, such as leadership training and character building, as well as restoring pride in the program and school through measures he enacted such as singing the fight song after every game.
He also was proud that his team has earned the Olympic League’s sportsmanship award from the league’s coaches the past two seasons.
“We teach them how to play football, but I want to each them how to be great men,” Wahl said.
“I feel like I’ve been doing that. So I’m proud of that.”
On the field, he was most happy with his team’s current three-game winning streak over rival Sequim (including the 6-0 win in November’s three-team tiebreaker).
Wahl said that in his first three years it felt like Port Angeles couldn’t beat Sequim.
“We made such a dramatic change and turned things around with Sequim the last two years,” Wahl said.
“Now to have three in a row, it’s a great thing.”
Port Angeles athletic director Dwayne Johnson said the job opening would be posted soon.
He also didn’t yet have a specific timeline for having a new football coach in place, but said there already has been some interest expressed.
The school also needs a new boys cross country coach, current coach Pat Durr retired from teaching and coaching last month, and an assistant for the girls soccer team.
Feasel passing torch
At Forks, Feasel said its time for someone else to take over the Spartans football program.
“It’s just kind of time,” Feasel said Monday.
“I just think it’s time to get someone in there with a little more energy, little more enthusiasm.”
Feasel also is resigning as athletic director, figuring having that position tied into the football coaching job would make the coaching gig more attractive.
Feasel said he considered resigning after the 2013 season, but stayed for one more year in part due to the youth of the 2014 team.
Feasel said 2015 likely will be difficult season for the Spartans with a junior-heavy team, but he strongly believes that things will pick up the following year and thereafter because not only will those juniors be seniors, but there is a talented incoming freshman class.
Feasel, whose wife, Cindy is the principal at Forks High School, said the plan right now is to continue living in Forks despite the rest of his family living in another state.
“We really like it here,” Mark Feasel said.
Feasel will remain athletic director until his contract expires in June.
He doesn’t expect to be involved with hiring his successor.
He did say that ideally his successor would be hired by February so that the new coach will have time to plan summer activities and camps, as well as the fundraising for those things.
The Forks football opening is currently posted on the Quillayute Valley School District’s website.
Forks High School also has an opening for a softball coach because previous coach Chelsea Davis moved back to Montana.
Joe Morton, who coached the girls soccer team this fall, also will coach the boys soccer team in the spring.
Loggers looking, too
Crescent athletic director Dave Bingham confirmed that Yount resigned after four seasons coaching the Loggers football team.
Yount will remain coach of Crescent’s boys and girls track and field teams, both of which have been perennial Class 1B powerhouses dating back to his arrival in mid-1990s.
Bingham said Monday that the quickness with which the opening is filled will determine the quality of the applicants, but he hopes to have a new coach in place by the beginning of summer activities, which are permitted to begin after the state track and field meet at the end of May.
Bingham said he would like to have a teaching job to potentially tie to the coaching position, but added that it is too early to know if that will happen. He also said that Crescent’s teaching staff has remained stable in recent years.
Bingham would like to see Crescent’s youth football program, which is currently nonexistent, to be resurrected in some form.
“One of the criteria that we’ll really look at is someone who is looking to build the youth program,” Bingham said.
Bingham expects to post the football opening soon, along with the opening for a volleyball coach.
Longtime volleyball coach Alex Baker stepped down after the season due to his work schedule.
In 16 years under Baker, the Loggers made eight trips to the state tournament, earned 14 postseason berths and won 12 league championships.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
