Coupeville Sports

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

He’s back, though he never really left the office.

After much public discussion of possible budget cuts in Coupeville Schools, one wildly unpopular suggestion has been removed from consideration.

Willie Smith will return as high school/middle school athletic director for the 2023-2024 school year, and his job duties will not be added to the workload of an assistant principal.

Instead, the man who has led Wolf athletics to sustained success both on the field and in the classroom, while also operating as Northwest 2B/1B League President, remains in charge.

Smith and school officials agreed to trim his prep periods from three to two, which saves the district money while not compromising a well-oiled machine.

As things settle back into place, the man with the plan ignored his always madly pinging phone for a moment or two to offer some thoughts.

A myriad of thank you’s are in order from me for all of the support, positive comments, and work that went into the district finding a way to bring me back to the athletic director position.

First and foremost, a great big thank you to you, David.

Not just for the article, or the title, but for the commitment that you’ve shown in the promotion of our school, athletes, coaches, and community.

You are constantly seeking ways to highlight all of our kids and programs, whether it be an athletic program, community program, or activities.

The pride you have for Coupeville shines through in each and every article and I know that our kids and community walk a little prouder each time you publish something.

Secondly, the response from the community for me was unbelievable.

Oftentimes, the role of an educator goes unnoticed and we don’t always get to see the impacts that we have made until years down the road.

The recognition that the Coupeville community had for me in recognizing the work of our coaches, student-athletes and all the moving parts of our athletic department was amazing.

While I may be the head of the athletic department, I am only as good as the people surrounding me, and it is as much of a testament to their work, dedication, and commitment to our vision that makes our athletic program so successful as it is.

Third, the support of my fellow athletic directors, both in their public statements as well as the conversations that they had with me in private.

It provided such a validation that the work we do as a collective to promote athletic excellence among each of our schools and leagues is so worth it, and I’m very excited to continue to be a part of that process.

My coaching staff is without a doubt, the best!

They are tireless workers and advocates for our kids and each other and were so incredibly positive throughout this entire process.

They were ready and willing to go the distance with me and fight for the programs which they have helped to build.

It truly is a testament to each and every one of them to see the accomplishments that our students have had throughout the years as well as the respect that all of our programs have throughout our league, district and state.

They are truly a remarkable group!

Thank you to our school staff, many of you spoke to me throughout this process offering encouragement and support.

Like so many other parts of the athletic department, your dedication to our students and support of all of our programs, athletic and otherwise, has helped build our school into a positive and successful one.

Lastly, I would like to thank our administration as they worked to find a solution that was amenable to our current budget as well as provide a way for me to continue in this position.

This will allow us to continue to build on the successes of our programs to make Coupeville, not just the gem of the Isle, but all of Washington.