For Steve Lutz, it was simply that time.
“Four years,” Lutz said Tuesday, a day after announcing his pending resignation as athletic director at Olympic High School. “It was time for me to step out and let someone new take it on.”
Lutz, who began as the Trojans’ AD in 2004, has overseen the turnaround of the school’s athletic programs during the past four years.
“It’s been a good ride,” Lutz said. “I just appreciate being a part of this group at Olympic.”
Helping the school transition from a struggling program in multiple sports to a program that’s achieved numerous titles across sports, Lutz made several coaching changes that led to the resurgence of the school’s football, volleyball and basketball programs most notably. He also spearheaded the Trojans’ move from a 4A Narrows League school to a 3A Olympic League school, another factor making the Trojans more competitive.
“That has been great,” Lutz said. “The change of leagues definitely have been part of that. But that resurrection’s just been great. It’s brought spirit back to our school.”
An assistant principal at Ridgetop Junior High School from 1992 to 2000, Lutz spent a two-year stint in Nigeria at the American International School before returning to the area at Fairview Junior High. He remained there until taking the AD position at Oly.
While Lutz took on a near full-time role in the classroom this year, teaching a variety of Physical Education classes, he said he plans to make the load full time next year.
“My other motivation is I’ve just so enjoyed getting back into the classroom,” he said, adding that he’ll likely add math to the mix.
With son Scott an athlete in boys tennis, golf and swimming at Oly, and with two more sons approaching, Lutz also mentioned how he’d like to get involved as a coach at some point in the future.
But for now, Lutz said he’ll just enjoy having more free time, something that didn’t come easy in the administrative world of endless paper work and behind-the-scenes duties.
“I have absolutely no bitterness about anything,” Lutz said. “Sometimes you just reach a point where you go, ‘Man, I really don’t have the energy.’”
