This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After 25 seasons pacing the sideline, Mountain Crest coach Mark Wootton is hanging it up. He informed his players of his retirement on Monday morning.
Wootton coached 13 seasons at North Sanpete and spent 12 years with the Mustangs. He finished with an overall record of 164-102, including accumulating a record of 91-46 at Mountain Crest, winning a state title in 2005.
"I decided to step down to take a break. I kind of felt like it was time," Wootton said. "It takes a toll on you when you've done it that long without a break. I just wanted to see what life is like on the other side."
Wootton said he would like to be involved in the process of hiring his replacement, but he's unsure if that's a possibility yet. He also left the door open for his return, noting "he loves coaching," but for now, he quipped, it's time to acclimate into society.
"I love helping kids. That's going to be really hard to not to be able to do in that capacity," Wootton said. "Maybe it's just time to grow up a little bit? I'm getting older, but I'm still 16 in my brain. I'm not real normal around adult people. I'm more comfortable around kids, so I might get bored. I don't know what to do when I hang around with adults. They're not fun to be around. They're boring, so who knows? I may step away and realize I can't do this."
Wootton follows another Cache Valley coach, Logan coach Mike Favero, into retirement, and although Mountain Crest beat the Grizzlies, who eventually captured the Class 3AA state title, 49-0 this season — Wootton conceded Favero has the better golf game.
"I'm terrible at golf," Wootton said. "I'll drive the cart — there's no one who can drive a golf cart better than me. If anybody would like to get in a golf cart race — let's go. I'm still competitive."
— Trevor Phibbs
Twitter: @trevorphibbs