Adam Mathieson resigned as Mountain View High School’s football coach on Monday, citing the elimination of the school’s athletic director and no other available in-building positions next school year for why he’s stepping down after 15 years as head coach.
Mathieson announced the news late Monday afternoon on social media. He has also been the school’s AD since 2007, the same year he was named head football coach. However, the AD jobs at Evergreen Public Schools’ four comprehensive high schools — Evergreen, Heritage, Mountain View and Union — are among the positions cut for the 2023-24 school year to address the district’s $19.1 million budget deficit.
In his letter, Mathieson cited his position as AD being eliminated, plus no in-building positions available at Mountain View, for why he’s resigning as coach. He echoed that again in a phone conversation with The Columbian on Monday night.
“This was a step for me here that I felt I needed to take,” Mathieson told The Columbian. “Because I think it’s the right thing to do for the program, and I think it’s the right thing to do for our family.”
Principal Charles Anthony told school staff in an email Monday that Mathieson has been reassigned to another position within EPS. He called Mathieson an “invaluable piece” of the school’s legacy.
“He has led the way in not only athletic dominance, but also in the building of student-athletics for more than 16 years here at (Mountain View),” Anthony said. … “Being a football coach is only a small part of leadership, it is the contrails of great men and women that are better people because Adam was a part of their lives.”
Under Mathieson, the Thunder captured six league titles — all since 2013. The program reached the 3A state semifinals in 2018. He recorded his 100th career win in October 2021.
Moving foward this fall, Mathieson said continuing to be a head football coach at one school while working at another isn’t an ideal situation. He added Monday that details of his new assigmment and school are still being finalized.
“There’s no path forward,” he said. … “It’s not a negative. It sucks and I’m going to miss the kids and the staff. All of that is hard — it’s hard for everybody, but I also think that sometimes, there’s enough of a sign to go, ‘You know, what? It’s time.’ It’s been a great run for 16 years. … Maybe it’s time to be impacted by someone else or impact someone else.”
Mathieson said he isn’t closing the door on coaching football in the future, and expressed in his letter Monday how proud of the Thunder program he and his staff built under Mathieson’s leadership.
“It has been a true blessing to serve the community in this coaching role for so many years, and I will cherish the time spent alongside the players, alumni, managers, assistant coaches, support staff, community members, administration and families that we have grown to love,” the coach said. “You all have made this journey an amazing and impactful one for our family. I could not be more thankful to have had the opportunity to coach football at Mountain View High School.”
Mountain View is the fifth football coach opening this off-season, joining Columbia River, Heritage, King’s Way Christian and Seton Catholic.
