Prep Football -- Already, Tyee Ahead Of Last Year -- New Head Coach Builds On Spirit And Enthusiasm

SEATAC - Pat O'Grady didn't grimace when only 20 players showed up for Tyee High School's first football practice.

"That's a head start on what they had last year," the new head coach said. "Last year, they only had nine."

The program has struggled with numbers the past several years, although the pace eventually picked up under popular Dominic Yarrington as the 1998 season progressed. But Yarrington, who guided the Totems to a 2-5 showing in the Seamount League (2-6 overall), was lured to White River High School last spring after only one year as head coach. He helped recruit O'Grady.

"Dominic Yarrington is a very, very good friend of mine and when he left the position he encouraged me to apply, so I did," said O'Grady, an assistant at Auburn High School the past five seasons. "As I prepared to interview for the job, I became more and more enthusiastic about it."

O'Grady, a 1979 graduate of Auburn, where he was a kicker, loved being on Bob Jones' Auburn staff. But he longed to become a head coach, and Tyee offered that opportunity.

"It was a tough decision," O'Grady said. "I was a little reluctant at first, but as I prepared (to interview), I just knew this was the right thing to do."

Jones can't help but agree.

"He's going to be sorely missed around here, but he really wanted to be a head coach," Jones said. "It will be a nice opportunity for him. I think he fits the Andy Haynie, Dominic Yarrington kind of mold. He will be able to do the things you have to do at Tyee to get kids out."

Haynie coached the Totems to their best season in decades before leaving to take the head coaching job at Sumner three years ago.

O'Grady, who will teach physical education at Tyee, has expertise in kicking - he kicked for Pacific Lutheran University in 1984 and '85 (the Lutes lost the NAIA national championship game his second year) and spent 17 seasons with Ray Pelfrey's professional kicking services company. He has handled a variety of coaching duties at Auburn, and was offensive coordinator the past two years.

"He has a good grasp of the offense and defense and, I think, strong communication skills," said Scott Colby, Tyee's new athletic director. "He relates well to kids."

Jones concurred.

"He's a real player's coach," Jones said. "He has a great relationship with kids. And he's worked real hard to become a head coach. He's very prepared, very organized - all the things you like to see, he is. The kids were real disappointed to see him go, but this was the right opportunity for him."

O'Grady said Tyee would run an offense similar to Auburn's one-back system, but with a more open passing game. Yarrington installed a spread offense last year and the Totems led the Seamount League with 1,053 passing yards in seven games. But they were last in rushing with a meager 311 yards. Auburn averaged 169 yards per game rushing and 121 yards passing.

O'Grady said he wants to keep "some familiarity" with the offense. He took 10 players to Central Washington University's camp this summer. He issued equipment to 30 players last weekend and expects the number turning out to steadily increase.

The Totems only had an eight-game schedule last year, but have a full nine-game slate this fall. They added Jefferson for their opener on Sept. 9 at Highline Stadium. Jefferson, a 4A team, was 1-6 in the South Puget Sound League's South Division last season, 1-8 overall.

"The kids are excited, ready to go," O'Grady said. "Dominic did a great job getting the program turned around last year and the numbers to start this season reflect that."

Notes

-- Colby, entering his third year as a teacher at Tyee, takes over Tyee's athletic director duties from Paul Harvey, who was the AD for two years. Harvey remains a vice principal at the school.

Colby was an assistant coach in girls soccer, boys basketball and baseball his first year at Tyee and last spring was head baseball coach at Pierce College.

-- Tyee has three other new head coaches this fall - Tom Milligan in volleyball, Cisto Pena in girls soccer and Catherine Peter in girls swimming.

-- Jones, entering his 10th season as head coach at Auburn (and 19th season overall in the program), said he will serve as offensive coordinator this fall. "We have some good kids back and I don't want to start over," he said, noting he has handled the offensive duties two other years over the past 10 seasons.

-- Rik Haines built Redmond into a KingCo 4A Conference football contender during his 10 years coaching the Mustangs. Now he's going to try to do the same thing at Decatur. It's going to be a tough job, but they said the same thing at Redmond.

"I'm real happy with the attitude and work ethic," Haines said of the Gators' early turnouts. "We have a good nucleus. The ones that stay will be winners. We're gonna get it done."

"You hear a lot about the Big Nine, but the South Puget Sound League is the toughest league in the state," Haines said.