Gig Harbor High School boys basketball coach Craig Brooks has resigned his position after two seasons, the school’s athletics director confirmed last Wednesday.

Brooks was placed on paid administrative leave in January after parent complaints led to a Peninsula School District investigation. The investigation was ongoing last week, athletics director Bob Werner said, but Brooks didn’t wait for it to conclude before he turned in his resignation.

Controversy began to swirl around the program in early January after four players were suspended for undisclosed violations during a trip to Ketchikan, Alaska. The school district declined to name the players, citing student privacy laws, but the eight-game suspensions initially handed down were consistent with punishments typically given to athletes who violate drug or alcohol clauses in the district’s activities code.

Brooks took over the head coaching position in 2011 after Tom Adams resigned. Brooks’ record at Gig Harbor was 16-27, including a 5-15 mark this past season in which the Tides failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Brooks couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. He will continue to teach math at Gig Harbor High.

The district’s application deadline was March 19. Werner said he hopes to conduct interviews and announce a new coach in early April.

Gig Harbor has started to shift its job descriptions for all varsity coaching positions, Werner said, making them more of a “program director” to help develop players from elementary grades on up. Applicants for the boys basketball job are being made aware of the expectations, Werner said.

“We’ve redefined this position so you’re kind of a figurehead for this community,” Werner said. “That means a very long-term investment.”