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Eric Kurle, the only football coach Graham-Kapowsin High School has ever known - the one who led the Eagles to their finest season in school history last fall - told the team Tuesday he has resigned from his position.

Kurle said he and his wife, Erika, had been contemplating a permanent move to the couple's eastern Washington retirement house near Chelan.

After Erika was offered a teaching position nearby, they went for it and have decided to leave - ending Kurle's 28-year run as a 236-win coach at Clover Park, Bethel and Graham-Kapowsin since the school started a program in 2005.

Last fall, led by Gatorade state player of the year Joshua Wood at quarterback, the Eagles captured their first Class 4A championship with an undefeated run, defeating Lake Stevens in the state finals, 44-7.

After that victory, Graham-Kapowsin accepted an invitation to play nationally-ranked Collins Hill (Georgia) in the GEICO State Champs Bowl Series in Las Vegas.

Wood tossed a last-second touchdown pass to lead the Eagles' wild comeback in a 40-36 victory.

Following that triumph, the Eagles (15-0) moved up to a No. 7 national ranking in SBLive/Sports Illustrated's Power 25 rankings

If you are a coach considering the end of his career, wouldn't this qualify as the quintessential way to ride off into the sunset?

"That is what they keep saying," Kurle, SBLive WA's state coach of the year, said Tuesday.

During the latter part of the season, Kurle said he was leaving the door open on stepping away from coaching, but he appeared leaning toward returning to coach the Eagles next fall.

"But once the job opened (for my wife), we sat and thought about it more," Kurle said. "And we decided, 'It's just time.'

"It’s hard. I was wearing down over the last couple of years - not that I could not have done it, but while I did enjoy the ride (in 2021), there was a lot of stress."

Kurle said he has agreed to join Travis Domser's staff at Chelan High School for one year as an offensive consultant, and might consider leading another program in that area in the future.

He also has picked up golf, enjoys fishing and is closer to prime snow-skiing opportunities with his wife near Leavenworth.

"I've lived in Pierce County my whole life," Kurle said. "We enjoy being over there, and we wanted to live there."

Both Graham-Kapowsin coordinators - Jeff Logan (offense) and Muckie Foreman (defense) - have expressed interest in the head job.