Hjort Leaves Blanchet Job For Prairie Hoops

Eric Hjort has resigned from his position as head coach of the boys basketball team and physical education teacher at Blanchet High School yesterday, but not for the reason that recently has sent several high-school coaches to other pursuits.

"I know (parental pressure) has been a problem for other coaches, but for the record, that's not why I'm leaving," said Hjort, who accepted a similar position at Prairie High School, a Class AAA school in Vancouver, Wash.

In the past six months, at least five Seattle-area high-school boys basketball coaches have been fired or pressured into resignation through the efforts of parents: Francis Williams (Rainier Beach), Don Harney (Lake Washington), Dennis Stray (Eastlake), Jeff Bright (Interlake) and Charlie Cobb (Cascade).

"I've had a tremendous amount of support from parents," Hjort said. "You will always have detractors. People who think you should be doing something else. But for the most part it's been a positive experience.

"Prairie offers the opportunity to coach at a AAA school. . . . There is outstanding community support and I feel that it's going to be a great opportunity."

Hjort, 31, compiled a 49-43 record in four seasons at Blanchet. He was a head coach at Pierce Community College in Tacoma, assistant coach at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., and assistant coach at O'Dea High School.

He guided Blanchet, a private Catholic school in Seattle's Green Lake neighborhood, to a sixth-place finish in the 1992 Class AA state tournament, and remembered it as "one of my biggest highlights."

Hjort gained popularity with the local basketball community by coaching on Seattle summer league Basketball Congress International teams that travel to out-of-state tournaments.

Hjort graduated from Blanchet in 1981.

"There will always be a part of me that will be green and gold," he said.

At Prairie, he will replace Phil Spiesman, who coached the Falcons for five seasons. Spiesman will remain at the school as a teacher.

Hjort was selected from a field of about 36 applicants, said Dennis Gillingham, Prairie Athletic Director.