Jake Hathaway has been an essential member of the Camas High School (CHS) football program for over a decade. He first spent seven years as the assistant coach with Jon Eagle, winning two state championships. When Eagle resigned, Hathaway took over and became the head coach.
He has led the Papermaker football team for the last three years. Over that time, they won three league titles and never lost in a conference game. These were great three years; everyone in the program loved working with Coach Hathaway.
“I was happy doing the head coaching thing. It was a great three years, and [we had] many fun times. There were things I can learn from, and it was an incredible journey for me,” Jack Hathaway said.
After a few great years of head coaching, Hathaway decided to step down as the head coach for personal reasons. Although he is stepping down as the head coach, he wants to continue to be involved with the program in the following years. He loves coaching and training the CHS team and is excited to see what is next to come.
“Hathaway is trying to make the smoothest transition for us so that we can be successful, so I only see this being a positive effect of how we play,” junior Titan Brody said.
The change in head coach might cause some problems with playstyle, but the returning coaches and players are confident that the team will continue to perform well on the field in the next few years.
“We have a really strong team. A lot of us have grown up playing football together. I think Hathaway and many of our coaches have built a solid base for whatever new head coach comes in,” junior Chase McGee said.
The whole team loved playing under Hathaway. Although he was hard on the team, his ability to keep them focused on their goals helped them succeed. Their team will miss Hathaway as their head coach, but they are also excited to see who will lead the Papermakers next year.
“Coach Hathaway is a great and respectful dude. He’s one of ‘the guys,’ from celebrating with us to keeping us accountable when we mess up on something. I appreciate that he could personally tell the team [about resigning], and I’m excited to know he’s not fully leaving coaching for CHS but only as the head coach,” Brody said.