Starting Monday, I will vacate the seat I have occupied for the past 13-plus years and move into my new role as this newspaper’s managing editor.

When you are talking about remarkable success stories in area sports, it’s pretty tough to top what Mark Few has done with the Gonzaga men’s basketball program. He has been the head coach for 16 years and has guided the Zags to 16 straight NCAA appearances.

In 1986, the University High girls basketball team opened the season at Kamloops. That much we know. The score, however, is a mystery. It is the only girls basketball score involving a Greater Spokane League team in the past 30-plus years that superstar statistician Bill Pierce does not know.

Last Sunday’s Seattle Times sports section had a letter to the editor in which the writer groused the Times didn’t have enough coverage on WSU football. Not to be outdone, we have a letter on this page asking for more Washington Husky coverage. I am hearing from a lot more UW fans now that the Huskies are back in the national spotlight.

We launched our new high school sports website on Friday night and the feedback has been tremendous.

Welcome to our new Sunday feature – Give & Take. The idea of this page is two-fold. It is an open-forum page that shares opinions from journalists and readers. It is also a way for us to repurpose some of our online content that print-only readers never see.

In the past 24 years, I have had the privilege of working with some outstanding journalists in The Spokesman-Review’s sports department. Saturday was the official last day for five of the finest. The company offered an early retirement package and 12 folks in the newsroom, including five in sports, took it. Deputy sports editor Gil Hulse, columnist John Blanchette, and beat writers Dave Trimmer, Steve Bergum and Vince Grippi are now officially retired.

You know that guy in the office who has been around forever and seems to know everyone? That guy who loves his job so much he rarely looks at the clock or adds up his hours?

A little more than two years ago we started a feature called Then & Now in an attempt to catch up with former area athletes. Race car driver Chad Little was our first subject on Sept. 18, 2007. Tuesday, former Gonzaga Prep and University of Idaho athlete Mike Keogh will mark the 100th Then & Now feature.