Rehkow locates perfect fit at Central Valley

One door closed on Freddie Rehkow when he resigned as East Valley girls basketball coach after taking the Knights to their first state tournament and coming within a point of a trophy.

A second door has opened.

Rehkow had a short-lived absence from the Greater Spokane League. He is returning to where he got his coaching start, Central Valley, after being approved Monday night by the school district board as the Bears’ new girls head coach.

“I told you (when resigning) that only one place would even tempt me (to return to coaching) and this is the one,” Rehkow said. “My feelings about EV are nothing but respect. If it hadn’t have been CV, I wouldn’t have touched it.”

Rehkow spent five years at EV before deciding the program needed a change of direction.

“He’s really excited about coaching again and we’re excited to have him,” said activities coordinator Butch Walter. “He’ll bring experience of being a head coach, having coached girls and having a CV tie.”

Former CV coach Judy Walters said she wanted to return to assistant coaching following her resignation and will do so with Rehkow. He had assisted with her for five years when Dale Poffenroth coached the Bears to unprecedented success.

“It’s an opportunity to work again with Judy and a chance to get back to where my roots began,” Rehkow said. “I’m excited about it. CV has a great tradition.”

He’ll inherit a team that returns its entire lineup and will have but two seniors.

EV’s new girls basketball coach will be former softball head coach and Rehkow’s basketball assistant, Rob Collins.

Among other new coaches:

Soccer – CV has hired in-building teacher Andres Monrroy for both boys and girls teams, replacing Brandon Deyarmin, who has gone into administration. Monrroy coached EV’s girls team last fall to a fourth-place GSL finish. Former Lake City and Whitworth athletic standout Ashley Troxel is new girls coach at Ferris, replacing Robin Crain, who will remain with the boys. Steve Snider, who coached most recently in Yakima at Eisenhower and West Valley, is the new girls coach at Mead.

Volleyball – Mark Weis, who coached Liberty, with a three-year stint as an assistant at University in between, returns as the new U-Hi coach, replacing Amanda Velasquez. James Lashbrook has been hired as head coach at Rogers. He replaces Jaime Browning, who resigned after two years.