By DOUG DONNELLY

OTTAWA LAKE – Whiteford is looking for a new varsity boys basketball coach.

Head coach Nick Abalos has stepped down after seven seasons with the Bobcats. He compiled an overall record of 77-75 in his tenure, winning one district title and helping Whiteford get to the regional finals in 2024.

“It’s been an emotional week,” Abalos said last week after announcing his resignation to the team. “I’ve been surrounded by some great people here at Whiteford. I feel like I am leaving the program in a good spot.”

Whiteford Athletic Director Marcus Luzier said Abalos was a positive role model during his years as head coach.

“I would like to thank Nick for his years of service to the district and for being a positive role model to the athletes that played for him,” Luzier said. “Nick is a good family man that we could all trust spending time with our children.”

Abalos took over for John Rice starting with the 2018-19 season.

“When I started seven years ago, there were just seven kids on the basketball team and two coming back from the previous season,” he said. “The numbers just weren’t there. We had some tough years, but we built it back up.”

In each of the past four seasons the Bobcats have finished with a winning record, finishing with 14, 15, 17 and 16 wins in those four years.

This past season Abalos took a team that had only two varsity players returning from the 2023-24 season and won 16 games. The JV team went 21-1.

“This year, coaching a team that lost 1 guys and getting back to the district finals was a lot of fun,” he said. “I feel good for those guys.”

He also thanked the number of assistant coaches and JV coaches he’s had during his tenure.

“I haven’t had a better friend than Mark Keeling,” Abalos said of his assistant for all seven seasons. “He means the world to me. I cannot thank him enough.”

Abalos is the third longest tenured coach in Whiteford boys basketball history at seven seasons.

Photo courtesy of The Advance and Mike Doughty.