After three years as Sequim High School’s girls varsity basketball coach, Evan Still is stepping down.
Still, who led the Wolves to districts in 2014 and 2015, said he was at a spot in his life he couldn’t give 100 percent to the team.
“Everything just kind of factored in,” he said. “It’s just the right time to do it.”
Over the past year, Still said he’s been giving this decision a lot of thought and that one factor was that his sister will be a freshman next school year and he didn’t want any possible resentment toward her when she comes out for the basketball team.
His other reasons for resigning, he said, are personal but have nothing to do with his former assistant coach Jerry Pedersen who was sentenced to 30 days incarceration, followed by 30 days of electronic monitoring in October 2014 for communication with a minor for immoral purposes, a then-15-year-old-girl on the team.
Still was cleared of any wrongdoing and fired Pedersen from the volunteer position after he learned of the relationship.
“It’s over and done with,” Still said.
Coaching career
In his tenure, Still also coached JV girls basketball for three years with time coaching JV boys soccer and JV and C-team boys basketball.
He led the Wolves’ varsity basketball team to a 20-34 Olympic League record and 27-37 overall.
Athletic Director Dave Ditlefsen said Still did a great job following outgoing coach Stephanie Lewis.
In Still’s first year 2012-2013, the Wolves went 5-11 in league, 7-13 overall; in his second year, 2013-2014, they went 10-6, 10-11, and 0-1 in districts; and in 2014-2015 they went 5-7, 10-13, and 1-2 in districts.
Their districts win this year was the Wolves’ first since 2007-2008.
They also overcame a long losing streak against Port Angeles on Jan. 9 after Jordan Miller hit a 3-pointer in the waning seconds at home to help give the Wolves their first win against the Roughriders since 2007 and 17 games.
Still also coached four second-team all league players; Alexas Besand in 2013-2014 and Victoria Cummins, Adrienne Haggerty and Caitlin Stofferahn this year.
He said this year’s group of seniors was a special group of girls.
“They were some of my favorite players I ever coached,” he said. “Those girls worked hard everyday and did everything I asked of them.”
Looking back, he appreciates the alumni and former players who came to open gym practices to help the current team.
“It shows the kind of girls we had coming up through our program,” Still said.
What’s next?
Ditlefsen said the district plans to open up hiring this spring and will begin in-house before going out of district if necessary.
One early candidate is assistant varsity and head JV girls basketball coach Justine Wagner.
“There are some good candidates in this town but we’ll let the process take its course,” Ditlefsen said.
Still said he would endorse Wagner 100 percent.
“She knows basketball and gets along really well with the kids and she’s well-respected in the school,” he said.
Still said he was lucky to work with people like Ditlefsen and Wagner in his tenure.
“I could not have wished to work with better people,” he said.
For now, Still said he plans to continue landscaping in the area and possibly pursue a college degree.
“Hopefully, I had a small positive impact on the program and the girls,” he said. “I wish everybody the best. I’m excited to just be a fan. I’ll definitely miss it. Maybe one day I’ll get back into it.”
