The Olympic High School administration didn’t have to search too far or wide for athletic director Steve Lutz’s successor.
Oly baseball coach and teacher Nate Andrews is set to take the reigns after Lutz announced he was stepping down from the role following the school year.
“It’s definitely gonna bring on some new challenges,” Andrews said. “We’ll see how it goes. To have a chance within our building to be able to step in here is a good thing. It’s good for my family. We love our community and we want to stay here.”
Andrews is excited for the opportunity to lead Oly’s athletic programs.
“But I’m also encouraged by some of the changes the district is considering,” he said.
That includes the potential for increased clerical support for ADs, more relief time and a reevaluation of academic standards for athletes district-wide.
“To be honest, that was a big part in my decision,” he said. “I believe there is a significant and, many times, intangible value to athletics. The community sees the importance of that and I think the district sees that the community thinks that’s important.”
Andrews is already familiar with the sports programs at Oly. Also the head boys hoops coach at Ridgetop Junior High, Andrews led the Olympic baseball team to the state tournament this year despite carrying just three seniors on the roster. Not only does accepting the AD job allow him to remain at the school he loves, but it also allows him to keep coaching the team he loves.
“Those were tough things to (have had to potentially) replace if I went elsewhere,” Andrews said. “There’s a lot of invested time. A lot of fun.”
It also cements his family’s home.
“My wife’s very supportive,” he said. “And my kids love hanging around athletics. But mostly, I love Olympic.”
A teacher at Oly, he’s excited to take on a new role without having to adjust to a new environment.
“That was one of the major factors in addition to liking where I teach,” Andrews said. “I love my students and our staff.”
But he knows the job won’t be easy thanks to the work of Lutz and Robert Polk, Lutz’s predecessor.
“First of all, I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Andrews said. “Robert Polk was a a big mentor to me. Then Steve of course worked really hard to make some necessary and difficult decisions. He’s done a nice job of transitioning us to our 3A position and in our league. I’ve got a lot of work to do to fill those shoes I think.”
Some of the challenges Andrews will take on will be the involvement of the football team with the Western Cascade Conference, a decision made last year. All other sports team will continue to compete in the Olympic League, which is losing Peninsula to the South Puget Sound League but gaining North Kitsap from the Narrows League (Currently a 4A school, NK is becoming a 3A school).
Enrollment is another aspect Andrews said he’ll have to keep a watchful eye on as it affects the classification of high schools.
“You’re always going to have to battle that,” he said. “It may be out every two years. It may be every 10 or 15. It just depends. There’s always a dynamic there. You have to look ahead and see where things might be going.”
With Oly housing a large percentage of lower-income students, Andrews said he’d like to see a change in grade standards for athletes. He said the point would be not to make things easier, but to keep kids involved that otherwise may stop attending school altogether.
“We have some kids struggling academically,” Andrews said. “The district’s standard, which is much higher than that of the WIAA or even neighboring districts and schools, is potentially holding students back. (Without sports), they’d be doing worse or even not coming to school. We need to keep in mind all students need to have a reasonable opportunity.
“If participation in athletics can just keep them on the ball a little bit more, it does have an impact. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have to earn it.”
Having been a head coach at the high school level, Andrews said he expects he’ll be able to relate to Oly’s other coaches well.
“I think it’s important to really understand what coaches are going through,” he said. “Being a head coach is a gigantic job. And it’s even bigger if you want it to be. Having that experience is vital. If you can put coaches’ minds at ease by understanding that you know where they’re coming from, they’ll have a better time coaching. They know you’ll take care of them.”
But again, Andrews reiterated he’s just glad to continue being a Trojan.
“Olympic High School is a great place to work,” he said. “Olympic in general, the staff has been very supportive. To work in a place like that makes it a lot more worth it.”
