Setting the Glendale standard

Tim Butler and Bob Davidson know a few things about coaching. Standing

on the sidelines for the past 23 years taught them a thing or two.

Whether they were coaching football, basketball, baseball, soccer,

tennis or golf, Butler and Davidson knew what it took to get the most out

of their teams and the best for Glendale High.

But the pair of longtime Nitro coaches took on a new challenge this

year when they were appointed as the co-athletic directors at Glendale

while maintaining their teaching and coaching schedules. Butler coached

junior varsity boys’soccer and girls’ softball while Davidson coaches

girls’ and boys’ tennis.

Despite their additional duties, Butler and Davidson said they have no

plans on hanging up their whistles.

On the contrary, they both feel that coaching for them keeps their

staff stable, which was their main goal in accepting the job as athletic

directors.

“Continuity and stability of our coaching staff is our top priority.

If we can keep our coaches year after year, good things will happen,”

Butler said. “With all the turnover we’ve had this year we feel like we

have people in the right spots.

“A lot of people on the outside think that winning solves all problems

and that’s only part of it. Being competitive every time we practice and

play is our goal every day.”

The challenge of being competitive was made even more difficult when

Butler and Davidson had to hire head coaches for seven of the 14 sports

that Glendale competed in during their first year as athletic directors.

During the 1999 fall season, Carol Driffill and Alfred Tamazyan took

over as the head coaches in boys’ water polo. Tamazyan will now take over

both the boys’ and girls’ teams following Driffill’s resignation this

year.

Girls’ basketball and soccer also had new coaches last season as Errol

Garnett took over for Jerry Mike in basketball and Ignacio Guerra and

Hector Garay replaced Becky Valentine in soccer for the winter season.

The coaching merry-go-round at Glendale continued in the spring when

Kris Kohlmeier replaced Craig Becker in softball, Bob Francis took over

for Fawn Spradlin in golf and Jessica Briggs took over the swim program

from long time coach Steve Garberson.

Longtime boys’ soccer coach Loi Phan replaced Pete Smolin as the

Nitros head football coach in April but Butler and Davidson are not

finished yet.

Boys’ cross-country and track coach Brian Lowe has resigned and Butler

and Davidson hope to have a replacement named soon.

No wonder Butler and Davidson continue to coach. Replacing themselves

as coaches might be their hardest job yet.

***BULLET***

Loyalty and tradition count as much to Butler and Davidson as anything

else.

During their 23 years as teachers and coaches while others have come

and gone, Butler and Davidson have been as constant as the Dyno-Stick and

Beat Hoover Day.

Though not approached together to take the job as athletic directors,

Butler and Davidson knew they could work well together, had the staffs’

best interest as a priority and cared passionately about Glendale High

athletics.

What they had to work out was how to cover the administrative part of

the job while the other one was coaching during the season.

“Tim covers me in the fall, I cover him in the winter and it’s every

man for him self in the spring when we’re both coaching,” Davidson said.

“But it’s a very full load with teaching, coaching and all the

administrative duties that go with the job.”

Both Butler and Davidson started coaching at Glendale in 1977.

Butler was an assistant football coach and Davidson was assistant

boys’ basketball coach and both would eventually take over those programs

as well as a few others over the next 23 years.

But while players have come and gone and games have been won or lost,

Butler and Davidson hope a little of the past and some of the present

will equal a great future for Glendale athletics.

When faced with the challenge of hiring qualified coaches in a hurry

this year, Butler and Davidson weighed each decision carefully and made a

decision that hopefully has worked out for the players and staff.

Take the hiring of Phan as the head football coach. Phan played

football for Butler and coached with him in football and soccer for the

past eight years. Phan’s hiring also brought several former GHS players

and coaches back in the fold.

“I would not have had the opportunity to take this job if it had not

been for the support I have received from Tim Butler and Bob Davidson as

well as the administration,” Phan said.

Speaking of tradition, Phan will bring back the lightning bolts that

used to adorn the helmets of Glendale football players this year in a

move that joins together the past and the present.

Butler and Davidson also re-instituted academic awards that were given

out at athletic banquets this year for student-athletes carrying a

B-average or at least a 3.5 grade point average.

They have also visited both Wilson and Roosevelt Middle Schools in

hopes of getting seventh and eighth graders excited about playing sports

for the Nitros.

But mostly they have tried to continue the good work of former

athletic directors Bruce Dalton, who they consider a mentor, and Don

Shoemaker and Jerry Mike last year, as Glendale heads into the

millennium.

“The administrative learning curve has been steep this year but we

have always been able to reach out to Bruce or Don when we’ve needed help

and they have really come through,” Butler said.

“The big thing for us is that Glendale High has a rich tradition and

we want to get back to a place where kids are excited to wear the schools

uniforms and play in the games.

“We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to offer our experience as

coaches for over 20 years to the Glendale staff which we feel is one of

the best in Southern California.”

The Butler and Davidson File

High Schools: Butler attended Notre Dame High and Davidson went to

Burbank High

Sports coached at Glendale: Butler has coached football, baseball,

soccer, softball and golf and Davidson has coached Basketball, baseball

and tennis

Who wins in golf: Neither would admit to losing to the other.

Natural Progression: Butler was both the head coach and a co-head

coach of the football team and Loi Phan played for him and coached with

him as well as soccer. Steve Snodgress coached under Davidson in

basketball and is now the head coach. Davidson also played against

Snodgress in high school.

Did you know?: Davidson was an assistant coach under Butler for the

1982 baseball team.