Jeff Bryson leaves Loggers for Arlington

Published 11:33 pm Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Jeff Bryson grew up in Darrington, was a three-sport athlete at the town’s high school and had a successful, lengthy run coaching the Loggers’ boys basketball team.

But he’s decided it’s time to move on.

Bryson stepped down last month as the Darrington boys basketball coach after 17 seasons. The 1983 Darrington High graduate guided the Loggers to 10 state-tournament appearances, including the 2003 Class B championship.

“It’s hard to leave Darrington. We’ve had a lot of great years and a lot of great kids to work with,” said Bryson, who this past season coached the team to seventh place at the 2B state tournament in Spokane.

Bryson is leaving to become an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Arlington High School. The change was the best choice for his family, he said.

Bryson has lived in Arlington 15 years and his three sons are student-athletes in the Arlington School District. His oldest son will be a freshman at Arlington High this fall. Bryson’s wife, Tracy Bryson, teaches kindergarten in the district.

The Arlington School Board approved Jeff Bryson’s employment Monday. He will teach math at Arlington High and assist Eagles head boys basketball coach Nick Brown.

“I still have that desire to coach. I’m totally fine being the assistant. I’m excited about it,” Bryson said.

Arlington, a soon-to-be Class 4A school, gets an assistant coach who is a proven winner and has experience running a program.

“It’s a fantastic hire. Jeff brings in a wealth of knowledge,” Arlington athletic director Allen Jefferson said. “He brings in a wealth of time … dealing with young people and so he has that background already that will complement our program very well.”

Looking back on his 17 seasons coaching at Darrington, Bryson picked several standout memories. One was winning a state title in 2003. The Loggers beat Shoreline Christian 64-43 for the championship.

“That obviously was one of the highlights, if not the highlight,” Bryson said.

In the past 12 seasons the coach took Darrington to state nine times. The Loggers earned a top-eight trophy during eight of those trips.

High expectations fueled the success, Bryson said.

“Darrington kids are tough, hard-nosed kids who like to win. When we were playing for all the marbles, we really went in ready to play,” he said.

Darrington’s 1993-94 team — Bryson’s first to qualify for state — and his 1996-97 squad, which “came out of nowhere” and placed third at state, were also special, he said.

Arlington’s gain in hiring Bryson is a significant loss for Darrington, said Kim Wardwell, Darrington’s athletic director.

“He’s just an overall great person,” Wardwell said. “We’re certainly going to miss him.”

Wardwell said Darrington hopes to hire a new boys basketball coach in the next few days.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.