Shannon Akin, who missed more than half the season as Edmonds-Woodway’s girls basketball coach amid allegations of inappropriate behavior, resigned March 30.
Akin was put on paid administrative leave by the Edmonds School District on Jan. 5 and the district’s human resources department launched an investigation into her actions as coach. The allegations included Akin’s use of “inappropriate language and punitive strategies while coaching,” according to a letter written by assistant superintendent Ken Limon to Akin dated Jan. 5.
The investigation, which was made public Wednesday, was completed March 1.
Despite the allegations, Akin was taken off administrative leave and given the opportunity to come back under a list of conditions.
Limon directed Akin to not use profanity when addressing players, make belittling or embarrassing comments when addressing players, to direct players without yelling at them, and enforce discipline and manage the team using positive motivation.
Akin said prior to submitting her resignation that she had “come to a good conclusion to the situation because my contract has been offered back to me.”
Akin said she decided to resign, however, because of her plans to get married May 19 and spend more time with her children.
“I just want to thank the district for the opportunity to coach (at) Edmonds,” she said. “I wish the program luck in (its) future endeavors, especially the girls.”
The investigation turned up several complaints about Akin’s behavior in the days before she was put on leave.
After a 24-point loss to Kamiak Jan. 3, Akin discovered a ball that cost $85 was missing and asked the players about it after she stepped onto the team bus. A player told Akin she had seen Akin’s children playing with it and said she would go look for it where they had been playing. Akin told the player to stay on the bus. As punishment for the lost ball, Akin made the players run 85 lines from baseline to baseline at practice the next day. During a Jan. 10 meeting with human resources official Tam Osborne and coaches’ union representative Dave Wood, Akin defended her actions as disciplining her team for a mistake.
Akin admitted some inappropriate language in practices, but denied she ever directed such language toward a specific player. She admitted using the f-word during the Kamiak game when addressing a player and said she later apologized to the player. Akin said the incident was a “huge mistake” on her part, according to a district account of the meeting. Akin denied belittling players and calling them names during practices or games.
Akin denied being hung over during a team camp at Western Washington last July, saying she was suffering from a sinus infection. Akin said she was too ill to drive home, so she went home with a player.
Akin also denied telling players she had scheduled her honeymoon during the district playoffs because the team wouldn’t be there anyway.
While on leave, Akin said she enjoyed coaching her son’s first grade team in the Sno-King Youth Club this past season and watching her children and her husband’s child play in the club.
When asked by Osborne about how things were going in regard to the current player/parent tone and climate, Akin said “I think if I got the support that I need from the administration and athletic director and other coaches that I could reverse this and support these girls. I’m a good coach and I don’t want to give up on these girls, and I don’t want to have a reputation as a being a poor coach.”
Akin said a return to coaching depends on her life situation.
“It’s something that I’m passionate about but it’s not greater than the needs of my family,” she said.
The Warriors were 3-6 prior to Akin’s departure and finished with a 4-12 record in the Western Conference South Division and 5-15 mark overall. Assistant coach Amber Shelley filled in for the rest of the season.
Akin was an out-of-building coach who did not otherwise teach or work in the district. She worked as an assistant coach at Shorecrest for eight years.
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