Community Sports

Reeves steps down as Gig Harbor football coach

Darrin Reeves resigned as head football coach at Gig Harbor High School, he told his team during a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Reeves just completed his second season at the helm of the Tides. He compiled an 11-9 overall record and a 9-4 conference record in those two seasons. Reeves guided the Tides to the state playoffs in 2023, when his team finished second in the South Sound Conference with a 6-1 conference record and a 7-3 overall record.

He also coached his teams to wins in both Fish Bowl games against Peninsula High School during that time.

This season, the Tides moved to the tough Narrows Division of the Puget Sound League. Gig Harbor finished tied for third in the division with a 3-3 conference record and a 4-6 overall record.

Reeves previously spent four years as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator with Gig Harbor under former head coach George Fairhart.

Gig Harbor coach Darrin Reeves

Gig Harbor promoted Reeves to head coach in February 2022 after Fairhart resigned.

Reeves was excited about the opportunity at the time, saying: “I cannot put into words how excited I am to be the new head football coach at Gig Harbor High School.”

Reeves began coaching in 2011, spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at Northeastern (Okla.) State University. He also worked as defensive line coach at Muskogee (Okla.) High School.

After moving to the Northwest, Reeves spent two years as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Stadium High School. He joined the Gig Harbor staff in 2018 and lives in Gig Harbor with his wife Taylor and their two children.

Gig Harbor Now could not reach Reeves for comment.

Gig Harbor principal Michele Suiter released a statement to Tides football families on Tuesday: “It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that Darrin Reeves has stepped down from his position as head coach of Tides Football. We are grateful for Coach Reeves’ dedication and commitment to our student-athletes and school community. Under his leadership, our football program has grown both in skill and spirit, instilling in our students values of teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship.”

The statement added that Reeves will remain a physical education teacher at Gig Harbor and promised to keep families “updated as we begin the search for our next head football coach.”