April 9, 2010
Duluth News Tribune

LeGarde bows out of Duluth coaching change
By Rick Weegman

Duluth Central boys basketball coach Dave LeGarde didn’t re-apply for a head coaching position in the 2010-11 school year, meaning the Duluth school district won’t have the same dilemma with choosing its coaches for that sport as it faced when selecting football coaches earlier this year.

LeGarde, a longtime assistant at Denfeld and East high schools and head coach the past three years at Central, is moving to St. Paul at the end of this school year.

“To me, it’s pretty exciting,” LeGarde said Wednesday. “I’ve always wanted to live down in the Cities, so this is a perfect time to give that a try. There’s certain things about Duluth that I won’t miss, but the basketball I’ll really miss. I’ve always had pretty good kids and I’ll miss the camaraderie with the coaches and the referees, too.”

Denfeld’s Jeff Nace and East’s Chuck Tolo each re-applied before last Friday’s deadline.

LeGarde, a Denfeld graduate, said he has been contacted by various Twin Cities-area schools and that he’s contacted others about being an assistant coach.

“I like coaching, and I’m not burned out or anything, it’s just a matter of being in the right fit when I get down there,” he said.

LeGarde, who works as a liaison between the Duluth school district and special education Native American students and their families, said he doesn’t have a new job lined up yet. His wife, Jennifer Hawkins, works in economic development for the state of Minnesota and is based in the metro area. The couple already sold their house in the Chester Park neighborhood.

All three girls basketball coaches in the district — East’s Bill Kunze, Central’s Greg Goman and Denfeld’s Jim Jubenville — re-applied. In boys hockey, longtime East coach Mike Randolph and Denfeld’s Kevin Smalley each re-applied for their positions.

Interviews with all winter sports coaching applicants are April 20 as the district consolidates its athletic programs from three to two with the impending closure of Central. Spring coaches may re-apply between June 4-11.

When the fall coaching positions were announced, Denfeld football coach Frank Huie was left out as East’s Joe Hietala and Central’s Chris Vold were retained.