<p>Pete Rawlins has been selected to the post of Grant Union High School girls basketball coach.</p> <p> </p>

JOHN DAY – Pete Rawlins was named last week as head basketball coach for the Grant Union High School girls basketball team.

It’s a move he’s excited about. But it’s also a little difficult.

Rawlins, who has played or coached basketball in some capacity since his early years, was head coach for the Grant Union boys team last year.

“In a perfect world I wish I could do both,” said Rawlins.

“I had a great year last year with the boys. It was disappointing from a win-loss standpoint. It was a very worthwhile year. We reached and accomplished some goals. I am still in touch with these boys,” he said.

Having worked on summer ball activities with Steve Speth, who recently stepped down as the girls coach, he was aware that Speth had decided he had other things he needed to do.

When Speth made his resignation official, Rawlins said some parents asked him if he’d take on the job.

It was a difficult decision to make. “I decided to jump in and keep things going in a good direction,” he said.

Of course, it helps that his daughter is on the girls team, Rawlins noted. “Certainly it’s part of the equation, part of the decision. I wanted to see a quality program move on.”

Rawlins and his wife Wendi moved to the area 25 years ago. In addition to their daughter, who is a sophomore, they have five sons.

Rawlins, who has coached junior high and junior varsity basketball, and has assisted the boys programs, said that coaching is the way he enjoys serving the school, community and the kids. “That’s the reason I do what I do.”

Rawlins has coached some girls middle school and some AAU girls basketball, teams his daughter’s been on in the past. This will be the first time Rawlins will be a head coach for girls at the high school level.

Rawlins feels confident that the boys program will continue to do well, and that school staff will find a high-quality person for the position.

“I feel pretty good about what the boys are doing, and I know that whoever ends up there will do a nice job,” he said.”I feel like the program on the boys sid