Hudson’s Bay will be on the hunt for a new head football coach.
Ray Lions informed his players, coaches and school administration he’s stepping down as the Eagles’ head coach after five seasons.
Lions said it wasn’t an easy decision to resign from the only head-coaching position he’s held. A number of factors went into it, including family life as a husband and father of three, and a physical and mental toll coaching took on Lions, especially this season’s 1-7 campaign in Class 2A.
The season also came with an extra hardship of a canceled game because of COVID-19 concerns. Lions’ final game came Oct. 28 when Bay defeated Columbia River 21-14 to end its season on a victory. The Eagles’ best season under Lions came in 2018 in Class 3A when it reached the state preliminary round against state power Bellevue.
“My goal was to never focus on the wins and losses — don’t get me wrong; I love a winning season and that playoff run was awesome,” Lions said, “but it’s more about changing lives and being an example you want to be for the athletes.
“The challenge is that it’s so time-consuming and draining physically and mentally that it wears on you.”
Lions arrived at Bay in 2017 as a first-time head coach after serving on Ridgefield’s coaching staff as a defensive coordinator under two head coaches.
He said he plans to remain at the high school — “I love Bay,” Lions said — where he works as a school counselor, but isn’t closing the door on coaching in the future. His oldest son, a middle schooler, also plays football. His wife, Mandy Lions, is a math teacher and head girls track and field coach at the school.
“I believe it’s time for new leadership and new energy to come in,” Lions said. “We did some good things, and made a difference for kids, too.”
