PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles will have a new face on the sidelines at Civic Field this fall as the Roughriders are again searching for a new head football coach.
Brent Wasche, a physical education teacher in the district and head coach of the Port Angeles football team in 2020-21, will return to Redmond, Ore., for his second stint as head coach of the Redmond High School Mustangs in the fall.
Wasche also served as Port Angeles’ head wrestling coach, teacher and an assistant football coach under former Riders head coach Bret Curtis from 2015-17, before leaving to teach and coach at Redmond in 2018.
Wasche declined to go into detail on why he made the decision to move on.
“Ultimately, there’s a few different factors at play that led to the decision, but the best way to put it is it didn’t work out,” Wasche said Wednesday. “I’d like people to know that I love the kids here, the staff and the community. I feel that my staff and myself are leaving the team in a better place, but it just didn’t work out. And I want what’s best for the kids, the program and the school.”
He said the COVID-related delays to the season and to implementing plans for the program weren’t part of his decision; Wasche was hired in early 2020.
“I commend the school district. Due to hard work on the part of our superintendent and staff, we were able to offer a lot more for the kids than many other districts,” Wasche said. “We had a .500 year, and we made some big strides.”
The Riders went 2-2 under Wasche in the COVID-delayed and reduced football season in February and March.
“While his stay was limited, he had a constructive, positive influence on the football student-athletes at PAHS,” athletic director Dwayne Johnson said.
The new head football coach will be the 10th since the 2001 season for Port Angeles.
The head coaching position was posted to the school district’s job openings page June 1 and to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Coaches’ Wanted page https://tinyurl.com/PDN-PAFBHC on June 3.
Port Angeles also is seeking a new high school boys golf coach and an assistant girls soccer coach.
“We are hopeful to have the interview process the week of July 5-9 for these positions,” Johnson said.
For more information or to apply, visit https://www.applitrack.com/portangelesschools/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Athletics%2fActivities.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladaily news.com.
