Takes assistant head coaching job for ranked Saints program

Warden girls basketball head coach Tiffany Darling leaves the high school behind to take an assistant head coaching job at Saint Martin's College in Olympia.

Darling, 26, said the position fits with her life goals of becoming a college head coach by the age of 30.

"By accepting the position as the head assistant coach for the women's basketball program at Saint Martin's College has moved me a step in the right direction," Darling said.

Darling will coach under Tim Healy, coach for eight years for the Saints, who has compiled a 113-49 record with the Saints' women's basketball program and a top 10 contender in the NCAA West Region Division II poll.

"I am going to take advantage of this opportunity and take as much information and soak in as much information as I can from Healy," Darling added. "That is going to be a learning experience for me and better me as a head coach."

Healy coached against Darling four years ago when the Warden coach was a player at Central Washington University.

From there, Darling took on an assistant coaching job with Ellensburg High School the following year and spent the last two years as the Warden girls basketball coach.

While at Warden, she compiled a 33-16 overall record, made the Seattle Times' top 10 ranking both years and won the first Lady Cougars' district title.

"I came in here with the mind set of building a traditional power and if I stayed, I would defend our title and that is what I will miss most about not staying," Darling said.

Darling said with the success of the coach for the Saints and the high caliber athletes, she feels her ability to move to the next level will be an easy transition.

"I am really excited to work with athletes of that caliber," Darling said. "Healy is a great coach with high qualities and I can't wait to surround myself with that."

Darling said her ability to accomplish goals already improves a successful basketball program. She said that during the awards banquet following the 2003 season, she made a promise to the parents and returning athletes that the Warden girls basketball team will make the state tournament the following year.

The Lady Cougars finished the 2004 season, one win away from placing at state with a team that faced an uphill battle all season long.

Leaving that behind didn't make the trip away from Warden harder for the successful young coach. In fact, Darling said she has built off motto's of the past to propel her toward her goals.

"I told my girls that our motto the last two year is, 'refuse to regret,'" she added. "If I had not taken advantage of this opportunity, I would be doing exactly that."