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This time, Doescher to coach Albany girls
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ALBANY - Derik Doescher is returning to the bench, this time as the Albany girls basketball coach for next season.

Doescher made the announcement Wednesday in a news release.

Doescher, who previously coached the Albany boys basketball team for 13 years before resigning his coaching post after the 2015-16 season. Doescher serves as a language arts teacher at Albany Middle School and is the high school athletic director. Doescher has taught in Albany for 13 years.

Doescher is taking over for Adam Wamsley, who resigned after coaching the Comets for four years. Wamsley resigned to become the head coach at Oregon.

Doescher said Albany did have a head coaching candidate hired who also was going to teach special education at the high school.

"The person backed out on Memorial Day," Doescher said.

Doescher reposted the coaching position and then decided to get back into coaching. He has two daughters, ages 4 and 7, who may be coming up through the program.

"It's always been a passion of mine," he said of coaching basketball. "Hopefully, they (his daughters) will take up basketball. That really motivates me."

The Comets have had six different coaches in the past 15 years. Wamsley was the longest tenured coach in that span at four years.

"We have a great group of girls at the high school right now," Doescher said. "There has never really been any stability in the girls basketball program. I just feel like we need more stability in the program."