After eight years as head basketball coach for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Al Sokaitis is hanging up his whistle. Sokaitis announced his resignation to a standing-room only crowd Wednesday, Apr. 28.

"It was a difficult decision for me to make, but after talking at length with my wife and my children, I have decided to step down as head coach at UAF," said Sokaitis at the Wednesday press conference. "The hardest part of all of this is leaving the players and the people who have meant so much to the program. The community support has been wonderful and greatly appreciated."

Sokaitis cited differences in leadership styles and a lack of communication from administration as the reason for his departure. The two-time GNAC Coach of the Year  has spent the past year working without a contract. Sokaitis said his decision to resign was a year in the making and the opportunity for the administration to address his concerns was long gone.

Sokaitis inherited a struggling basketball program when he became head coach eight years ago, but over the years he has built a healthy program and competitive team. UAF finished this past season with a 23-7 overall record and a sweet 16 finish at the national championship. The Nanooks finished the 2002-2003 season with a 20-8 record, an appearance in the national tournament and the 2002 BP Top of the World Classic Championship. UAF was the only Division II team in NCAA history to win a Division I tournament. Of the 108 victories Sokaitis racked up while at UAF, eight wins were over Division I opponents.

Many of the players described the resignation as "shocking."

Junior guard Brad Oleson said he was "pretty disappointed" when he found out about Sokaitis's resignation. He said that he did not expect it.

Chris Smith, a junior forward-guard, said that he thought everything was going fine and that he saw no signs of the resignation.

"It's a real shock to your system," said Eric Dean. Dean, a sophomore forward-guard, said that it was sad to see the coach leave, especially since everything seemed all right. "He's a good guy," he added.

Ivan Miskovic, a sophomore forward, also expressed understanding. "He was a good coach and I have a lot of respect for him," he said. "He's got to do whatever makes him happy."

Many of the players also expressed concern over how the resignation would affect the team. The players generally hoped that assistant coach Frank Ostanik would be hired.

"That'd be better than anyone else," said Miskovic, noting that Ostanik had been with the team for eight years. Dean and Smith noted that some players were thinking about transferring if someone other than Ostanik was hired.

The players got their wish Friday.

Two days after Sokaitis' announcement, the UAF athletic department named assistant coach Frank Ostanik as head coach.

Ostanik has worked as Sokaitis' assistant coach for the past eight years. He played for the Nanooks from 1990 to 1992 and was a graduate assistant for UAF during the 1992-93 season. Ostanik has coached high school basketball in Alaska at Kaltag High School and Walter Northway High School.

The thirty-three year old Ostanik graduated from UAF with a Bachelor's degree in 1993. He and wife, Toni, have a 7-year-old son named Win.

Photo by Theresa Roark

Comment on this story...