University Titans Hit By Several Coaching Vacancies

In a stunning turn of events, Don Owen tendered his resignation as University High softball coach after just one year and a trip to the state tournament.

Owen’s announcement was one of a several coaching changes that have occurred at U-Hi.

The school is looking for new head softball, volleyball and boys tennis coaches and assistants in basketball, volleyball, softball and girls soccer.

Three of those spots were filled by one person, Mark Hein. He is leaving after six years, pending Colville school board approval, to become head boys basketball coach there.

Momi Bowles, a North Central High School teacher who was U-Hi’s volleyball coach last year, was named coach of the Indians.

Ken Van Sickle, Owen’s predecessor in softball, has resigned as the varsity assistant to undertake an administrative practicum.

While most of the changes are career moves, Owen’s decision was the most surprising.

He cited several issues leading to his decision, including the fact that he is also U-Hi’s wrestling coach and because it was tough coaching a team that includes his daughter.

“Being head coach of two sports was very, very difficult,” said Owen. “It is a difficult job to coach, period. It is difficult when you are a parent, period. Put them together and it adds more stress.”

Owen, who labeled himself a competitor to the extreme, said he approached the game differently than his predecessor, Van Sickle.

Van Sickle, whose time next spring will be spent working with activities coordinator Bill Ames in other sports, didn’t think that was bad. Owen always did what he thought was best for the team, he said.

“But the idea of `team first and me second’ is not the way it used to be,” he said.

Their resignations end a successful seven-year association that helped make give U-Hi the most successful softball program in the Greater Spokane League.

Including this year’s 24-4 season, the Titans compiled a 129-38 record with five league titles, three regional championships and four state appearances.

Bowles was an assistant at North Central before becoming University’s coach and the fact that she was on faculty there made her decision to take the open NC job easier.

“We had a job created for Momi, but in all due respect she was into the leadership of that school and when NC’s job became available she chose to stay,” said Ames.

Hein, in six years at U-Hi, coached boys tennis, was junior varsity basketball and assistant girls soccer coach. Becoming a head basketball coach has been his goal.

Coaching college basketball was what he originally wanted to do, after assisting three years at Pacific Lutheran University and two years at Eastern Washington University.

“That was where my expertise was, but I looked at the difficult things about it and decided it was not the best family situation,” he said.

He credited his stay at University with helping him improve his coaching skills and developing a passion for the high school game.

Hein is a Reardan High graduate who averaged 22 points per game when the team reached the State B finals in 1986. He played in the State All-Star series and attended PLU.

His new job at Colville, he said, will be challenging.

“I’m not as familiar with the kids as I need to be,” he said. “Another challenge is we’ll be in the 3A Frontier League. But I’m excited. Ultimately we’ll have a very competitive program.”

Ames said that hiring replacements will be made easier because of teaching openings, including Hein’s math position.

Added University principal Erik Ohlund, “In programs with a history of success we’ve got to search out and recognize qualified candidates.”

Owen, meanwhile is going to be the father to his daughter he couldn’t be when he was her coach.

“There were times when I needed to be one, but was trapped because I was the coach,” he said.