Whitman football head coach Dave “Slick” Fyock (‘84) announced his resignation from his coaching position through a TeamSnap message to players and their parents on December 1, almost a month after the team’s last game of the fall season.
The team ended their 2021 campaign with a record of 0–9 and a total of 40 points scored throughout the season. This year marked Fyock’s 16th serving as head coach; he spent several months working alongside varsity coaches John Floyd, Jack Kelly, David Rice and Bill Toth. The school is currently searching for a new coach to replace Fyock for next year’s season. 

In his TeamSnap message, Fyock wrote that he loved working with the other Whitman coaches, and that his experiences bolstering students has made his time as the varsity football coach worthwhile.

“Coaching football has been a huge part of my life for the past 36 years,” Fyock wrote. “Having the opportunity to coach at my high school for the past 16 years has been an amazing and rewarding opportunity that I will forever be grateful for.” 

Starting running back Matthew Olevsky, a senior, played under Fyock for all four years of high school. Fyock gave continual guidance to the senior and was always a comforting presence, Olevsky said. 

“Coach was there for us no matter the hardships we had to face during our playoffs,” Olevsky said. “He always had our backs when injuries occurred and provided a positive outlook on the rough season we just had.” 

 Some players believe that the impending change in varsity football’s leadership may influence the team’s level of success in upcoming seasons. 

“We’ll definitely miss his coaching, but I think his resignation will help change things up a bit,” said starting offensive guard and defensive end Ben Tummonds, a junior. “Having new faces in the program might help produce better results for future teams, especially given what happened in the fall.” 

In an interview with The Black & White, Fyock said he expected that the only detriment his resignation will have on the team will be players’ inevitable need to adjust to a new coach. Even the introduction of a less capable leader likely wouldn’t hinder the squad’s performance next season, Fyock said. 

“Our JV team this year is very promising,” Fyock said. “The numbers are good and we have great athletes. Next year’s football team has a good future ahead of itself, and I doubt a bad coach will be a barrier to that.” 

Varsity football players are confident that Fyock’s years of coaching will continue to guide future players for seasons to come. 

“Our team next year will miss Coach Slick very much,” said wide receiver James Robinson, a junior. “He’s an amazing coach who supported everyone on the team, and his presence will forever remain on our side.”