Former Bigfork coach leaves Whitefish

Whitefish High School’s new boys basketball coach is on the way out before he even coaches a single game.

Josh Downey submitted a letter of resignation last week, two months after he was hired away from Bigfork High School.

The resignation comes on contentious terms, with Downey telling the Whitefish Pilot he was forced out and left looking for work. He says school administrators vowed to help him find a job in Whitefish if he accepted the coaching position — whether within the school district or community — but gave up on fulfilling those promises.

Whitefish athletic director Aric Harris, however, says no such promise was ever made. According to Harris, Downey’s contract “clearly stated” the coaching job wasn’t linked to a teaching position.

Downey resigned in May as Bigfork’s head basketball coach and athletic director to take the Whitefish position. He led a talent-laden Vikings squad to the Class B state championship and a perfect season last year.

Downey says he was coerced into signing the Whitefish coaching contract without any real job security.

“Whitefish offered me the [coaching] job, and put me in the position to accept or not accept,” Downey explained. “They did say they can’t guarantee a teaching job and that I’d have to go through the hiring process. I understand how that works.”

But, Downey says, once he signed the contract, the district stopped helping him find employment.

“So I quit my $65,000 a year job in Bigfork because they were going to help me get a job. Now I’m unemployed,” he said.

“I’m really upset about the whole thing.”

According to Harris, the district tried its best to help Downey secure work, both within the district and the private sector.

“We just didn’t have anything available,” Harris said. “We looked above and beyond, but couldn’t come up with anything.”

“We really looked at what needs we have, but were unable to make it work.”

Harris said the budget simply wouldn’t allow the district to create a new position.

“We can’t sacrifice the classroom — academics are first and foremost,” he said.

“We wish [Downey] the best moving forward,” Harris added.

Last month, Downey hosted a basketball skills camp and took a dozen players to a camp at Gonzaga University.

“I volunteered my time and personally paid for one kid to go,” Downey said.

Downey says the district is spinning the story to make it sound like he voluntarily resigned.

“They’re twisting it like I’m walking away from the kids, and I’m not,” he said.

He claims the district told him to resign or else they would terminate his contract.

“This was dangled in front of me and taken away,” he said.

“[The district] left me hanging. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

Whitefish already is moving on to its next coach.

According to Harris, Phoenix-based coach Curtis Green has made a verbal commitment to lead the boys team next season. Green was one of Whitefish’s finalist during the first round of interviews when Downey was hired.

“We strongly considered him the first time,” Harris said.