Rick Giampietri resigns after 23 years as CV’s head football coach

The Godfather of Greater Spokane League football head coaches resigned Monday.

Rick Giampietri knew going into his 46th year coaching and 23rd as head coach at Central Valley that this season might be his last.

He gathered his players Monday and told them he was stepping down.

“It was a tough decision but it was the right thing to do. It was time,” Giampietri said.

Giampietri, 67, retired from teaching in 2010. Not only did he continue in football, but he was also an assistant in wrestling.

He’s helping with wrestling again and if it works out, he’ll be an assistant in football, too.

“You just can’t quit cold turkey,” Giampietri said.

It’s the second head coaching position open in the Greater Spokane League. It was final season for Rob Bartlett at University because he’s been promoted from dean of students to vice principal.

Under Giampietri, CV was 146-87-1, a .624 winning percentage. In 23 seasons the Bears had 15 winning years and played in the postseason 11 times.

The Bears won three league titles (1995, ’97, 2008) and a state championship in 1997 when CV finished 13-1.

CV finished 8-3 this year, second in the 4A division and advanced to the first round of the playoffs before losing to Richland 30-3.

Giampietri is highly respected among his peers.

“It’s an honor to coach against him,” Gonzaga Prep coach Dave McKenna said. “I wouldn’t say it’s enjoyable because he’s so good. His teams were well coached and his kids played very hard. His kids respect the game because he did. He was the godfather of the league. There’s nobody that could say a bad thing about him.”

A 1966 North Central graduate, Giampietri played two years at Grays Harbor College under Jack Elway before finishing at Eastern Washington University.

He started his coaching career at Lewis and Clark. He was with George Sullivan for a year before Jerry Connors took over. He followed Connors to CV in 1983 and took over in 1993 when Connors retired.

Giampietri has been a head wrestling and golf coach and assisted in track and softball. He coached 115 seasons in the last 46 years.

“Football is a program I never had to worry about,” CV athletic director Butch Walter said. “Rick took care of everything that needed to be done. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. He’s going to be missed by everything – the kids in the program and the community. He is an outstanding coach and an even better person.”

Giampietri thanked his wife, Priscilla, for teaming with him during his career. They celebrated 47 years of marriage this year.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it this long without her centering her falls around football,” Giampietri said.

Giampietri said he had difficulty telling his players. He didn’t think he’d get emotional.

“Our banquet is Tuesday. That’ll be worse,” he said.

Giampietri plans to push assistant Ryan Butner, who played on his first GSL title team in 1995 and has been an assistant the past 17 years and a teacher the last 15.

Walter said he hopes to post the job for applications soon.

“We definitely want a head coach on board early to make summer preparations,” Walter said.