Colfax Loses Curtis To Administrative Position Football Coach Makes Tearful Decision To Leave Successful Bulldogs Program

Doug Curtis, who led Colfax to the 1981 State A football championship and a second-place finish last year, has resigned.

Curtis has taken an administrative position in the Wahluke school district, based in Mattawa, south of Vantage and north of Richland.

“Colfax has been home to me, it’s one of best places in the state of Washington to coach,” Curtis said. “It’s been a tough decision, lot of tears, but it seems like the most responsible decision to make.”

Curtis will be an assistant principal, vocational director and administrator of the summer school program. His wife Cindy, a nurse, will be director of student health programs.

“That was the turning point,” said Curtis of his wife working the same hours and days as he will.

Wahluke was formed out of the Royal City school district about 13 years ago. Curtis compiled a 141-57-1 record over 20 years and two stints as the Colfax coach. The Bulldogs won nine league titles and were in the playoffs 11 times.

He got out of coaching after the ‘81 championship but when his replacement resigned two years later, he was asked to take over again for one year.

“I came back for one year … and that was 14 years ago,” he said. “I’ve never regretted coaching here. I enjoyed coaching the last 14 more than the first six.”

The decision to leave Colfax was made more difficult because his stepson, Josh Robinson, was a star running back on last year’s team that lost to Lyden Christian 22-20 with a field goal on the last play of the state championship game.

To help ease the transition, Curtis will be an assistant coach with the Warriors this fall.

Curtis began as an assistant football coach and head track coach at Morton in 1971. After two years he went to Whitworth to get his masters while assisting Hugh Campbell. He was co-coach at Lake Roosevelt for one year before moving to Colfax in 1976.

“I’ve spent 20 years as a head football coach,” he said. “People don’t realize how hard that is. I could stay here forever and coach football, but I need to think about the security of my family. I could be comfortable doing what I’m doing. I have great support, great kids, great everything … but I have to make myself grow.”

Curtis is four years from retirement. He said he would like to return to the Spokane area and work in a private school after his retirement while his daughter, Whitney, now 7, finishes school.

His last game was a 17-10 win as the East coach in the A/B All-State game last month in Yakima. His son Tyson, who will attend Central Washington University, was one of the quarterbacks in that game.

Brett Racicot, wrestling coach last year at Lewis and Clark High School, will be the new coach at Central Valley High School.

He replaces Dale Ethridge, who resigned to teach in South America after leading the Bears to the Greater Spokane League title and state championship.

“I thought long and hard about it,” said Racicot, who came to LC after coaching five years at high schools in the Redmond School District.

“It was tough to leave unfinished business at LC,” he said. “The little kids program was booming and my kids were in camp and in freestyle. I think I let them down a bit.”

The move, however, was a chance to return to the Valley. Racicot is a 1984 graduate and state champion from University High.

He wrestled at North Idaho College and Fresno State. Prior to moving back to Spokane, Racicot coached one year at Redmond High and spent four years at Eastlake High when the new school opened.

“I’m pretty excited,” the special education teacher said of his most recent move. “It will be a good challenge for me.”