Guthrie's Pete Papahronis making transition from coaching boys to coaching girls

Last year, his team made the semifinals and returned the core of that team for this season.

But when Guthrie girls coach Terry Carris resigned following an 8-15 season, Papahronis decided it was time for him to try to make a move as well.

He had two young daughters — he now has three — and wanted to coach them when they reached high school.

So although his daughters were quite a ways away — the oldest is in fourth grade this year — he asked to move to coach Guthrie's girls.

“I knew if I was coaching boys when they were playing, I'd never get to see them,” Papahronis said. “And I didn't want that.

“When Coach Carris resigned, I thought to myself, ‘I like the town, I like the school, I like the people and this may be my opportunity to stay.”

Papahronis didn't want to take a chance that the job wouldn't come back open before his daughters reached Guthrie High.

Guthrie administrators weren't sure what to think when Papahronis approached them with the idea.

“People thought I was crazy,” he said. “I went and talked to the athletic director and his reaction was, ‘Are you kidding me? Are you nuts?'”

Given some time to mull it over, though, Papahronis decided the time was right.

He talked to Putnam City coach A.D. Burtschi, who had been his high school coach.