KINGSTON — Nothing feels better in life than coming home after being gone for a long time. Dan Novick is coming back to a place he once called home, the Pacific Northwest, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

Novick recently nabbed the Kingston High School Athletic Coordinator position and head football coaching job at Kitsap County’s newest high school in Kingston.

He was an assistant coach at North Kitsap High School from 1999-2001. Currently, he’s a social studies teacher and assistant football coach at Princeton High School in Princeton, Texas — 41 miles from Dallas.

The 31 year old said he can’t wait to make the return trip. He’s especially excited about becoming part of the Kingston community for the long haul.

“This is the place where my family and I want to be,” Novick said. “This is where we want our children to go through school. We’re going to make a long-term commitment to the area. I appreciate the opportunity the district has given me. I am looking forward to it.”

Novick jumped at the opportunity to return to the North Kitsap area.

“I have so many fond memories from when I was up there,” he said. “There’s a lot of pride in the Kingston community. The athletic teams always compete well and are rich in athletes. My philosophy as a coach is to promote the fact that they’re student athletes with an emphasis on student. Academics take kids further in life than athletics do.”

Novick believes attaining success in the athletic arena can translate into success in the real world.

“Athletics teach life skills and life values,” Novick said. “It helps them become better people.”

As an athletic coordinator, Novick hopes to get as many athletes as possible participating in a wide array of sports.

“We’re a 2A school so we’re going to have to share our athletes, coaches and resources,” Novick said. “We’re hoping that many of the kids will play multiple sports. We’re going to embrace that kind of a multiple sport philosophy.”

Kingston’s newest athletic coordinator knows how important strength and conditioning is when it comes to success in any type of athletic endeavor.

“We’re going to put an emphasis on a year around strength and conditioning program,” Novick said. “It doesn’t matter if the athlete is a golfer or a football player. It will help them greatly if they choose to participate in it.”

Novick knows much work is ahead of him in the summer months. He’s hoping to make the move from Texas to Washington as quickly as possible.

“The biggest challenge will be finding the right coaches,” Novick said. “We have to build a program with quality people and it’s my job to help find those coaches to fill those spots.”