<I>KEVIN HEIMBIGNER photo</I><BR>IHS athletic director and boys basketball coach Matt Blair will now try his hand at dean of students role.

ILWACO – Playing solid defense and rebounding are two constants that Matt Blair has stressed the past four seasons as Ilwaco High School’s boys basketball coach. His adherence to these sound basketball principles has led to a 59-41 record against teams that more often than not have had superior talent.

His four trips to District and two to State and the seventh place finish in 2003 at the 2A level despite being the smallest team at the classification in Washington are tributes to his coaching style and expertise.

After 2005 he may be taking his skills and energy to a different venue. Blair, if all goes according to plan, will become assistant principal at the high school, and then it is up to the administration and school board as to whether he will have the time to continue to coach.

“Whatever the decision, I will be excited about my job,” Blair says. “I want to become a principal soon, and I think of my duties as if I were still coaching a team. Things like working together and getting everything from a person’s potential are important, whether you are talking about motivating teachers as a principal or athletes as a coach.”

The bottom line is that Blair wants to do what is best for the school district.

“Some of the most respected administrators I have worked for have been great coaches,” he concludes. In early August he earned a Masters of Education in Leadership and also received his principal’s credentials. The 2004-05 school year Blair will be Dean of Students at IHS, athletic director, teach weight training, and coach varsity basketball. “I will be involved with everyone,” the coach says. “I can’t imagine ever having a boring day.”

“Lisa Nelson has been very helpful during my administrative internship, and I’ve learned a lot from Todd Carper.” When the middle school becomes a separate entity in 2005-06, Nelson will likely continue as high school principal. Carper will take on similar duties at the middle school. Eventually Blair would like to become a superintendent and the final few years of his career return to being a physical education teacher and coach, which is what he did when he came to Ilwaco.

At least for the upcoming season Blair will continue as varsity hoops coach. “This team will really have to work hard as we are young and without a lot of experience. I want to coach kids who love the game, have fun, and are committed,” Blair says. “Toledo and Napavine are two of the best teams in the state, and Onalaska and White Pass will be very good, yet I love the challenge of trying to beat them all.”

Blair pointed out Andy Hudkins, Kyle Kaino, James Fritts, and Tanner Ketel as athletes who have been outstanding and fun to coach. He has special praise for 2004 grad, Ryan Cadwell. “Caddy may best typify the kind of kid I want to coach. He worked hard every day, got the most out of his talent, and never worried about his stats. He was a leader, and he challenged me at times to be a better coach – and I think I did the same for him as a player.”

“The district has always been very supportive of me as a coach, and I’ve been lucky to work with great people, especially Chris Hill, my assistant,” Blair adds.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and a coach,” Blair says. He was born in Long Island, N.Y., and moved up-state to Lake George where he graduated from high school. Blair played football at Cortland State College until a back injury forced him to stop. “Football was my number one sport as a player, with baseball and basketball being a close second, but I love the emotion and closeness of coaching basketball.”

“I jokingly say I took the wrong exit when people ask me how I came out to Washington,” Blair said.

While in college he took a summer job selling for Southwest Book Company and found his way to Bellingham where he decided to settle. In 1997 he graduated from Western Washington University after spending a couple of years touring the Northwest and working.

Blair taught a year at Sehome and a year at Ferndale before settling in Ilwaco. He met his wife Anita while in Bellingham, and they are happily married with four children.

In his new role as Dean of Students, Blair sees changing students’ attitudes as his biggest challenge. “We want the kids to be successful and realize we are here to help them meet their goals. We want to be fair, but have them realize we will follow the steps in the discipline process.”

The biggest change for Matt Blair this year and in the foreseeable future may be in his wardrobe. “I am basically a ‘jeans and T-shirt’ kind of guy, but I’m going to be very visible in my work this year. It looks like I’m going to have to go shopping so I can dress better,” he says with a grin.

As long as Blair keeps his enthusiasm, dedication, and pride in his work at the over-achieving level his basketball teams have accomplished at IHS, even the fashion police may cut him some slack at his new position.