With every summer comes change among athletics at area high schools.
There are new athletic directors and some open coaching vacancies in high-profile sports as we near September.
Hudson’s Bay is looking for a new boys basketball coach after Andy Meyer accepted an administrative job within Vancouver Public Schools.
Battle Ground also is in search of a boys basketball coach, for the same reason. Andy Schoonover resigned as coach to take an administrative position.
Over at Fort Vancouver, Dirk Hansen, formerly a coach at Mount Si in Snoqualmie, has taken over as the AD for John Griffin, who is now out of the athletics business and working at Heritage High School.
And in Camas, Josh Gibson, a former head football coach at Washougal, is the new athletic director, taking the place of Terry Cavender, who resigned after the school year to move closer to family in the Puget Sound area.
Back to Battle Ground, Karla Kalian will remain as the school’s athletic director. The Columbian was told earlier this month that she was going to take a different job within the district while Schoonover moved into the AD’s spot.
“The word of Andy Schoonover getting that job was premature and not final yet,” said Gregg Herrington, the school district’s spokesman. “It was being considered, but it was not final yet. Only the school board could make it final. As other matters were taken into concern … the decision was made to put Andy as an assistant principal at Chief Umtuch Middle School and retain Karla Kalian as AD/assistant principal at Battle Ground High.”
Kalian said Wednesday that the basketball coaching position remains open.
That means two Clark County boys basketball coaching positions are available.
Meyer coached the Hudson’s Bay Eagles to two district championships in his five years with the team.
“I had a great experience at Bay. I wouldn’t want to be coaching anywhere else,” he said. “I’m not leaving to coach anywhere else. I’m still going to be a big supporter of those kids and the school.”
Meyer, a 1996 graduate of Hudson’s Bay, said he is now the athletic coordinator at Alki Middle School.
Griffin decided that more than 30 years as a coach and an athletics administrator was enough. He had been the AD at Fort since 2001.
“It was time to move on and do different things,” he said.
Which allowed for Hansen to take his first job as an athletic director.
“I wanted to have a bigger, positive impact on kids and coaches,” said Hansen, who spent the last 16 years at Mount Si.
He understands the challenges at Fort Vancouver and is looking forward to the opportunity.
“I’m going to work as hard as I can to do everything I can to put Fort Vancouver on the map,” Hansen said. “We don’t have to win every game by any means, but I want my teams to be competitive.”
