Looking back on his 10 years as head girls soccer coach at Snohomish High School, Dan Pingrey said he developed lasting, family-like relationships with many players and their parents.
But when faced with a particularly difficult choice, Pingrey said he had to do what was best for his real family.
Pingrey resigned Wednesday as Snohomish’s girls soccer coach. After guiding the Panthers to division and district championships, a 16-2-1 record and a trip to the Class 4A state quarterfinals this past season, he stepped down because of a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rule related to high school coaches who also lead club teams.
Pingrey said he plans to continue coaching the Snohomish High boys squad, which he guided to 4A state championships in 2000 and 2006.
Pingrey coaches his daughter, Brooke, on the Snohomish United U-12 girls club team. Brooke will be a seventh-grader next school year. Starting when student-athletes reach seventh grade, the WIAA doesn’t allow high school coaches to instruct club-team athletes out of season if those athletes are on track to eventually play for the coach’s high school squad, Pingrey said. Several other girls on the club team are also likely to ultimately play at Snohomish High, he said.
Instead of giving up his club-team job and waiting a few years for his daughter to play for Snohomish, Pingrey will work exclusively with the U-12 club team. It’s what Brooke wanted, he said.
“If your daughter wants you around, it’s a good thing,” said Pingrey, laughing.
Pingrey said he considered applying for the girls soccer coach job at Glacier Peak High, the Snohomish school set to open this fall. But the same rules hitch exists because at least one of his club-team girls could eventually play there.
In the end, it was an emotional but simple decision, he said.
“The family comes first and … I’m not going to get that time (with Brooke) back. It really wasn’t a tough decision,” said Pingrey.
Since Pingrey took over the Snohomish girls program in 1998, it has been a local and state-level power. The Panthers made eight state tournament appearances. They lost in the quarterfinals three times and placed third in 1999.
“The thing that’s impressive with Dan (is) he has always been able to keep the program at or near the top of the league,” Snohomish athletic director Mark Albertine said. “It’s been a real competitive program.”
Albertine said the district hopes to hire Pingrey’s successor next month.
Asked what he’ll remember most about his time spent leading the Snohomish girls, Pingrey said he enjoyed working with many amazing players and watching them become successful adults.
This past season Snohomish started 15-0 and didn’t allow a goal through 10 games, an impressive streak Pingrey had never seen in his many years around the game.
“It was fantastic,” he said. “That was one of the better seasons we’ve had, especially when you consider how young we were.”
Contact Herald Writer Mike Cane at mcane@heraldnet.com. For more high school sports news, check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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