Steilacoom coach Colby Davies leaving for assistant job at Portland State
After four years, Steilacoom High School football coach Colby Davies is leaving the program for an assistant coaching job at Portland State University, coaching tight ends for the Vikings.
Davies compiled a 33-7 record at Steilacoom and led the Sentinels to their first-ever Class 2A state championship game appearance in 2019. Davies said he’s had a connection with Portland State offensive coordinator Skyler Fulton, who has recruited some of Steilacoom’s players over the past few years.
Head coach Bruce Barnum called Davies to officially extend the job offer on Tuesday night. Davies told the Steilacoom administration he was taking the job on Wednesday morning, and told the Steilacoom players at practice on Wednesday night.
“That was the hardest part,” Davies said. “It was an emotional time. We’ve kind of gotten back to normal, I’ve been coaching them. … I was starting to get connected to this senior group.”
That night, he drove down to Portland. By Thursday morning, he was in position group meetings with Portland State. Davies, 34, said the pandemic gave him time to think about his longterm goals. Coaching in college turned into a bigger goal for the 2005 Steilacoom High graduate.
“I think it’s something that’s been brewing for a couple years,” he said. “The (Steilacoom) job was my dream job. We’re having success at Steilacoom, doing all that, then you kind of start setting new goals and thinking what else can I do? What’s the next step, next chapter? Coaching college football, I wanted to challenge myself and see how far I could go. I didn’t want to pass up on it.”
After Steilacoom advanced to the 2019 state championship game, where the Sentinels lost to undefeated Tumwater, it seemed like a formality that the two programs would have a rematch for the 2A state title a year later.
Then the coronavirus pandemic happened. Steilacoom star Emeka Egbuka opted to enroll early at Ohio State instead of playing in a shortened spring high school football season, with no state tournament in play.
“You almost feel cheated, with that group,” Davies said. “I didn’t get to coach (Egbuka) his senior year. All his best friends didn’t get to play with him. Then having a shortened season, not being able to make a postseason run together to compete for a state championship.
“This is my first graduating class, I’ve been with them for four years here. We had goals that we had set for ourselves and the program for the last three, four years. You feel a little cheated you don’t get the goals you set out for.”
Steilacoom has begun the process of finding a replacement for Davies, with practice beginning in August ahead of the high school football season.
This story was originally published August 1, 2021 at 2:32 PM.
