Eastlake High School Football Coach Gene Dales Resigns

Gene Dales announced yesterday that he is stepping down from his position as football coach at , the Seattle Times reported.

Dales told the Times that he's going through family issues that he needs to focus on, and realized he can't give 100 percent to the team.

Dales' father recently passed away, and his wife is undergoing treatment for respiratory issues, making it difficut to focus on the team the way he wants to, he said in a statement.

He informed Eastlake Athletic Director Pat Bangasser of his decision after a sleepless night, and told the team yesterday afternoon.

"It was a gut-wrencher," Dales told the Times.

Dales was a finalist for the , saying in his statement about "why he does what he does":

It has always been of utmost importance to me that students and parents who are part of this community get more from the process of the journey than the end result. This is true in the classroom for a grade, on a playing field for a score, and many other aspects of life.

Dales was two games into his eighth season with the team. Defensive coordinator Pat Parnell will be interim coach.

Read the full story at the Seattle Times.