Bob Bernathy was at his Lake Stevens home when he saw some troubling news: the Darrington boys basketball program couldn’t find a coach and was in danger of being eliminated.
So, Bernathy decided to send in an application. Six days later, he was the new coach of the Loggers.
“I read the article in The Herald when there was the possibility they were going to lose the program and felt I had to apply, especially after all that went on and all that community has been through,” Bernathy said. “I put my hat in the ring, knowing I wouldn’t get it. I had an interview with (athletic director Cory Ross) and five days later I was offered the job.
“I took a day to talk it over with my wife and then called and accepted.”
The Darrington School Board had given Ross a Sept. 30 deadline to find a coach or cancel the Loggers’ season. Through Sept. 7 there had been little interest in the position.
After an article ran in The Herald, Ross said he received about seven applicants. He interviewed five of them and Bernathy stood out above the rest.
“Bob Bernathy was my No. 1 choice. It just felt like the right fit,” Ross said. “He knew about Darrington’s tradition of basketball. He liked the idea of stepping in and getting the program going. He and the other coaches all said similar things with their philosophies on basketball and grades and all that. He just really seemed to have a grasp on high school ball. He had realistic goals and realistic expectations of himself and the community.”
Bernathy took a day to discuss the position with his wife and convince her to let him take it on. The Lake Stevens resident admits the commute “will be a challenge” and has only met a few of his future players. However, Bernathy is excited to take over the Loggers team and be a part of the Darrington community.
“I’ve met some of the townspeople who are truly wonderful and have stepped up to help,” Bernathy said. “I’m definitely fired up for the challenge. I have no idea what I have, but we will improve. My goal is to fill that gym like it used to be. It should be fun.”
Bernathy will have to overcome other challenges as a coach at a small school. When he officially took over on Sept. 23, the Darrington basketball program had two basketballs. He is hoping to raise money for more equipment, new jerseys and to take the Darrington team to two camps next summer.
Bernathy was an assistant coach at Lakewood in 2011, and spent a year scouting for the Lake Washington basketball team. He helped coach his four children, who all played basketball.
“He had some experience coaching at a high school,” Ross said. “A little bit was volunteering. He kind of knew the smaller-town vibe with Lakewood. He understood the WIAA rules. A lot of the other guys were AAU guys or private school guys and came from a little different world.”
In 2008, Bernathy retired from Kimberly Clark in Everett but continued to work for the company part-time. He has since retired again so that he can “commit fully” to the Loggers.
Bernathy now plans to “roam the halls and get kids amped up and turning out for the team” that will strive to better its 1-18 mark last season.
“We want to start moving forward, getting better and improving,” Bernathy said. “Getting the youth program up and running. I know they had a rough season last season but we’re putting that behind us. We will be competitive.”
Ross is still looking to fill the varsity assistant/junior varsity coach position, but believes in his new head coach he found someone who can help spearhead the Loggers’ turnaround.
“It’s going to take more than just one guy but I think he definitely will be a good push in the right direction,” Ross said. “I don’t want to put the pressure on him and say he’ll be able to turn it around all by himself. But the more I talk to him and sit with him at football games the more I go, ‘Man, I’m happy we got him.’”
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