Coach Retires, But For How Long? -- Arizona-Bound Demetre Likely To Coach Again

Someday in Arizona, Tom Demetre could walk into a noisy gym or onto a baseball field and coach teenagers again.

"I'm too young and active to completely pack it up," Demetre said. "But something else is calling me now. Maybe it's the (Arizona) sunshine or my golf clubs. I don't know, but it's time to start a new life."

Three weeks ago, while driving to Shorewood High School, where Demetre has worked since 1978, the girls basketball coach decided it was time to retire. (Demetre celebrated his 56th birthday June 8.) He coached basketball and baseball and taught physical education in the Shoreline School District for 34 years.

He told Shorewood Athletic Director Pat Hegarty his intentions last week.

"I was really surprised," Hegarty said. "When you watch him, you can tell he gets a huge kick out of watching these kids play and have fun. I guess he wanted a change, but if after 34 years you still love what you're doing, it's hard to stay away."

Demetre will relocate to the Phoenix area this summer. He plans to play a lot of golf and travel to San Diego to visit two married daughters.

"But I wouldn't be surprised if after a year, or a few months, he walked into some school and said, `Hey, do you need a coach?' " Hegarty said.

Demetre left Shorewood's girls basketball program in good shape. The Thunderbirds won their first Class 3A state championship during the 1997-98 season, finishing 23-6. In 1999, the team won three loser-out games to qualify for the state tournament before losing in the semifinal round and closing the season at 21-7.

Key returning players are seniors Nina Lowe, a 5-foot-8 guard, and 5-11 center Stephanie Hart, who averaged a combined 26 points per game during the regular season.

"They (the players) made the decision hard, but I didn't think it would be fair to stay for another year," Demetre said.

Last season was the first time Demetre didn't coach more than one sport. He started in 1965 as an assistant basketball and gymnastics coach at Shorecrest. He coached baseball at Shorewood for 18 seasons before retiring in '98, when the Thunderbirds collected Western 3A Conference and district titles.

"We were one run from being in the state finals," Demetre said. "The '98 year was the most fun. After winning the (girls) basketball state title, we had a great run in baseball. That was an exciting year."

Demetre, a Bothell High School graduate, started on the Cougars' 1960 and '61 state qualifying basketball teams. He also was a starting pitcher in baseball and went on to play baseball for Seattle Pacific while earning his teaching degree.

Hegarty said he hopes to have girls and boys basketball coaches named before school starts in August. Boys coach Larry Stewart, 54, retired in April.

Squalicum coach resigns

Dave Dickson has resigned as boys basketball coach at Bellingham's Sqaulicum High School after its inaugural season. He wants to spend more time with his family.

Sqaulicum compiled an 11-12 record in its first season. Dickson coached at Bellingham High for seven seasons before it closed down last season to be rebuilt. He was the head coach at Oak Harbor for four seasons before that, compiling a 47-45 record with the Wildcats.

Dickson's 12-year coaching record was 157-126.

Three weeks ago, Dickson requested a one-year leave of absence from coaching with the understanding he would resign if the district could not honor his request.

A native of Everett, Dickson played high-school basketball at Mariner, helping the Marauders to a sixth-place finish in the 1976 Class AAA state tournament.