The most successful coach in Utah high school sports is calling it quits.
Mountain View's Dave Houle, who amassed 68 state championships and seven national titles in five sports and has been inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, announced his retirement Tuesday from the Alpine School District — two weeks after district officials said he resigned.
A press release issued Tuesday by the school district said the coach was asked to continue working at Mountain View as a teacher but decided instead to retire completely.
"It's been an emotional time for my family," Houle said Tuesday afternoon. "I've been doing this for 29 years, coaching kids in five sports if you count both boys and girls cross country and track. With that came a lot of blood, sweat and tears and time away from my family."
Houle's decision came after two weeks of controversy and soul-searching. He said district officials told him he had to resign or be fired because when he and his girls basketball team were in Arizona last month for the Nike Tournament of Champions he gave his hotel room to two players who were upset and unable to stay in their own rooms for different reasons.
Despite his assurances, and that of the players and their parents, that the girls were in a separate room with a locked door while Houle spent most of the night awake and out of the room, the district refused to reconsider. The parents of both girls voiced support for Houle with district officials the next day.
The district and Mountain View administration, however, have refused to comment on what they called his resignation, even after Houle said publicly that he rescinded any resignation. Houle said he rescinded the resignation two days later after parents and players begged him to fight for his job.
While the players held out hope Houle would be reinstated, even attending a school board meeting Tuesday night to ask the members to intervene on his behalf, school officials have continued to tell students that he resigned and even asked Houle's longtime assistant, Laura Romo, to take over the program more than a week ago.
All the while Houle contemplated whether he should really fight for his job or resign and rest on his accomplishments. In the end, he said, that while he's confident he would have prevailed in a legal battle, his family just couldn't stand the stress, and the girls need to move on with their season.
"One thing all of this did," he said, "was give me a chance to sit back and reflect on my career. . . . I think I've proved myself. I've done everything I can do in high school. . . . At that level, I'm a dinosaur."
The statement released Tuesday by Houle, the district and school said, "The Alpine School District confirms that at no time has it found any indication of immoral, illicit behavior on the part of coach Houle. Alpine School District wishes to thank Dave for his 29 years of service and his many contributions to the district and the community."
The statement and Houle said it was his family who swayed him to retire from both teaching and coaching right now.
"I felt this would be easier for my wife," he said, "I always agreed to stay because of the kids. Each group wanted me to see them through their high school careers, and I just love the looks in the kids' eyes when you're teaching them."
He's not ruling out re-entering coaching in a single sport at another high school sometime. Houle has been offered about a half-dozen jobs, most in the college ranks.
"This is allowing me to take a deep breath, spend some time with my family, and maybe then I'll go back to coaching, but just one sport," he said.
Former and current players expressed their appreciation to Houle in letters, calls and public statements.
"He's one of the greatest guys I've ever known," said Hollie Hansen, four-time member of the state champion basketball team and part of a national championship team. "He helped me probably more off the court than on the court. He and coach Romo are just great people. I'll stay close to them my whole life. I learned so much from them, and I just love them."
Those who coach with and whose children have been coached by Houle said it is more than his knowledge of sports that endears him to parents and players.
"He always cares about your well-being, first and foremost," said John Palica, who coached a boys traveling team with Houle last summer. "He lifts his players morally, spiritually and athletically. . . . He's probably the most selfless person I know. He would give his body, might, mind and soul for these kids."
Houle took over the Mountain View girls basketball program 18 years ago and turned it into a perennial power. He said it all began when he and assistant coach Mike O'Connor went to the 1989 4A state championship game in which Taylorsville defeated Clearfield.
"After they cut the nets down, Mike boosted me up on his shoulders and I cut both of us a piece of net about 3 inches long," he said. "I said to him, 'Someday we'll cut down our own piece of net.' I put it in my pocket every game I coached after that to remind me of where I came from."
Houle won his first state title in girls basketball in 1991 and won 10 more after that.
Several members of the team were at Alpine's school board meeting Tuesday to vent about the way this situation was handled. They were flanked by many parents.
"Right now it's really hard for us to begin, mid-season, not with a new coach but with a new head coach," said basketball player Monique Smith.
"This is honestly not what's best for our team. The district is supposed to be looking out for the athletes and the students as a whole, and this is not the best decision that could have been made."
Parents were frustrated by the lack of information from district officials.
"I hope the one thing the district will do is give us a public statement of exactly what happened — we deserve it," said parent Roger Harrison.
Robin Bryant has a daughter on the team and said she was upset that children were questioned by the district about alleged incidents without their parents present.
While Houle said he appreciates the efforts on his behalf and sentiments of support and thanks that have poured in, he's relieved to be moving in a new direction.
"I have no regrets," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing. I've been very lucky. How could I say anything else?"
Contributing: Laura Hancock
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com