Note: This is the second of four stories featuring the local high school head coaches who resigned this school year.

When John Matzen first began coaching in 1977, the average household income was $15,000, the first Star Wars movie had just hit the theaters and Elvis Presley permanently left the building.

Matzen announced recently that he is stepping down as the Oak Harbor High School boys golf coach after 23 years.

Matzen first led the program from 1977 until 1980. After taking a few years off, he returned to coach the JV team from 1984 until 1992. He became varsity coach again in 1993 and held the post through this spring. From 1993 until 2000 he pulled double duty, serving as both the boys and the girls varsity coach.

He also helped in the basketball program for over 20 years at various levels for both the boys and girls; he was the girls varsity coach from 1989 until 1996.

Matzen said he decided to resign because “coaching since 1977 is a long time.” He added, “People say ‘You will know when it is time,’ and the time is now.” His wife Vicki retired from teaching at Skagit Valley College this year, and Matzen said they “would like to have some flexibility” in their schedule.

While his golf teams won several league and district titles over the years, he said his most memorable seasons were 1978 and 1996.

In ‘78 Jay Webber birded the 18th hole to win the district title and help the Wildcats qualify as a team for the state tournament. In those days five-man teams qualified for state. Oak Harbor finished fourth at state, five shots behind champion Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma.

In 1996 Lucas Horrobin tied for first at state (although he lost in a playoff for the title) and teamed with Wes Gleason to grab second place in the team standings. At the same time at the girls state tournament, Matzen’s team of Lisa Wasinger and Becki Matzen (John’s daughter) earned enough points to place fourth.

Coach Matzen said, “Two team trophies in the same year was great.”

Matzen said Phil Reedy’s near championship at the 2009 state tournament was also “very exciting.” He added, “He did not win but I was very proud of his finish.”

Matzen said other highlights included coaching his two daughters, Becki and Sarah, from 1992 until 2000 in both basketball and golf. Becki qualified for the state golf tournament three times, Sarah twice.

He was also assistant to Stan Nelson when the OHHS boys basketball team completed its most successful year and finished fourth at state in 1983.

This past Memorial Day weekend, three of Matzen’s former golfers competed in the two feature groups of the Whidbey Golf and Country Club Invitational. Matzen said, “I really enjoy learning about my former players. I enjoy hearing of their progress in life.”

Andy Wesley, the Oak Harbor girls varsity golf coach said, “Mr. Matzen has been a great mentor to me, not only as a golf coach but in how to be a father, teacher and an adult. He always listened to my situations and offered his insight and wisdom, never telling me how to solve the problem. Coach Matzen understands the game of golf and how to teach it on a level that I hope to achieve some day. He always knew what to say and do with his athletes to get them to perform to their highest level. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching with Mr. Matzen, and I along with his team will miss him greatly.”

Matzen said, “In my mind, how you play the game is paramount in importance. I have wanted my teams to play with pride in accomplishment but humble in attitude. How you play the game reveals the character that is inside the person. John Wooden said, ‘Winning takes talent, repeating takes character.’ Preparing well, understanding responsibilities and executing are essential for personal development and team success.”

He said he would like to be remembered “as a coach who cared deeply about (his players’) accomplishments on the court or course but cared more deeply about their development as young men and women.”

While he is departing as the official coach, he said he will still “volunteer on the driving range” in the future.

He closed by saying, “‘A team is a team because its members choose to be a team’ is a quote that I have in my coaching notebook. Whether you are a player, coach, parent or associated with the team in another way, your decision to play your role on the team is of utmost importance to the success of the team.”