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| March 23, 2018 1:00 AM

Assistant Love replaces Ward

as Sandpoint girls hoops coach

SANDPOINT — Will Love, an assistant girls basketball coach at Sandpoint High the past four seasons, was promoted to head coach Thursday.

Love, 40, replaces Duane Ward, who resigned last week after four seasons in his second stint as Bulldog head girls coach.

Love was born and raised in Sandpoint, and played hoops in high school. He was an assistant for four years in the boys program under Tyler Haynes, including three as the JV head coach. In four years as an assistant coach under Ward, the Bulldogs went to state each year, bringing home a pair of third-place trophies.

Love, a former sports writer, teaches at SHS, and is the advisor for the Cedar Post student newspaper.

With deep Bulldog roots, he’s excited to take his first head coaching job at his alma mater.

“It means a lot. Growing up here, a Bulldog fan all my life, I’m excited about the opportunity,” said Love, who hopes to keep the program on its current trajectory. “The girls program is in a good place; why fix something if it isn’t broken?”

Under Ward, Sandpoint went 54-42, with four 4A Inland Empire League titles and four 4A Region 1 championships.

“Duane’s a legend. You talk to people throughout the region, they talk about what a great coach he is,” Love said. “It was an honor to coach with him for four years. He allowed me to make calls on a lot of things, and I appreciate that.”