Steve Pyne, the five-time Oregon state champion, left Central Catholic in Portland to coach the Union Titans in Vancouver

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

Steve Pyne has enjoyed getting to know his new players at his new school in his new state.

Well, maybe not a new state. He has lived in Vancouver for years. But coaching in Washington? That’s new.

Steve Pyne, a five-time Oregon state championship football coach at Portland’s Central Catholic High School, is learning a lot now that he is the coach of Union High School in Vancouver, preparing for his first season in Washington Interscholastic Activities Association competition.

“These kids are hungry to be coached,” he said, noting they are accepting the new culture and the changing of expectations.

Pyne has watched a lot of videos of Union football.

“When I turn on the film, I see two things that are lacking: attention to detail and a lack of discipline,” Pyne said. “If we can control the lack of discipline and attention to detail, we’re going to be much improved. Now what does that look like? I don’t know. 

“Obviously I want to win. That’s important. But that’s not the endgame. This is a great community. The AD and principal are awesome. I think we’ve got the pieces in place to build a good program.”

Pyne was hired by Union in February. He continued working at Central Catholic until the end of the academic year but was going to Union in the afternoons, meeting players and finalizing his coaching staff. Since the end of the school year, he has been at Union pretty much every day, overseeing the offseason program.

The transition has had its bizarre moments. The longtime Oregon coach is learning about the differences between Oregon and Washington when it comes to out-of-season coaching. 

In Oregon, Pyne, representing a private school, and a coach from a public school with less resources, worked together to change the rules regarding offseason workouts. That allowed for coaches in all sports to work, for a limited amount of time each week, with their athletes throughout the school year. No, no one was practicing football every day of the school year. But there were times when it was allowed, even in the winter and in the spring.

In Washington, football coaches cannot coach football at any time other than the fall football season, until the day after spring sports come to a conclusion.

Then, in the summer, WIAA rules shut down sports practices or clinics on Aug. 1 until the first official day of fall sports practice. This rule is in place for all sports, not just football. Pyne thinks that is a disservice to the athletes, and even a safety issue. 

In Oregon, Pyne’s teams were allowed to practice, without pads, before the official start day and they were able to hit the ground running on the official start day.

“The ability to do that stuff separates the weak from the chaff,” Pyne said. “I’m not afraid to come out here and ask our coaches to come out here to work with kids in August, just like most every other state in America.”

Working throughout the summer, only to be forced into a three-week break before the official start of practice just seems wrong, Pyne said. 

Until the rules change, though, Pyne, the Titans, and every other high school football team in Washington will not be on the field with a ball from Aug. 1 until the first day of practice. This year, that will be Aug. 21. Union’s first game is Sept. 6.

Pyne and his family have lived in east Vancouver for years. His Central Catholic teams played Camas, Skyview, and Evergreen during his tenure there. He has kept up with Clark County football.

“There’s good football in Southwest Washington. You see the ability of Skyview, Union, Camas … to make deep runs in the playoffs” Pyne said. “There is a standard of expectation down here. I’m all for it. Let’s roll. Let’s see who’s better on a Friday night.”