Matt Hawley went 29-7 in three seasons at Vale (2012-14), including 12-0 in 2014, when he was named 3A coach of the year.

The last time Matt Hawley coached a high school football game, he walked off with a state championship trophy.

And now, nearly nine years after guiding Vale to the 3A title, he is getting back into the game.

Hawley has been hired as the coach at perennial 1A power Crane, replacing Stub Travis, who stepped down after going 167-61 in 23 seasons. Hawley has served as the superintendent of the Crane School District since 2015, but has not coached.

He is eager to get back on the field.

“Maybe I'm being a little selfish, because I want that relationship with the kids,” he said. “I like getting the wedding announcements, the baby announcements, the hugs at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo. The things that are important.”

Hawley started twice-a-week workouts this month.

“It reminded me very quickly of why I coached for 27 years,” he said.

Hawley graduated in 1984 from Vale, where the football field is named for his father Frank, the head coach from 1983 to 1988. Hawley was an assistant coach at Hood River Valley for four seasons and at Weiser (Idaho) for five seasons before returning to Vale, where he was hired as superintendent in 1998.

He assisted at Vale until becoming head coach in 2012. His teams went 5-5 and 10-2 before finishing 12-0 in 2014, when he was named the 3A coach of the year.

Hawley resigned as superintendent and football coach in early 2015 to deal with “personal challenges.”

“I was going through a divorce, I was struggling with some things, and I thought I could deal with it by using alcohol,” he said. “I had about a two-year stint where it wasn't healthy and it started affecting my life. It was time to change that path.”

Hawley met with the Vale school board after a monthlong stay in a treatment facility.

“They thought it would be best if I resigned, so I did,” he said. “It was hard to step away, but it was also a time to do some self-reflection. I got myself back to where I wanted to be. I've been good since.”

After taking time to evaluate his next step, Hawley became Crane's superintendent in June 2015.

“It's been a wonderful path here,” he said. “We've done some amazing things here. It was a healthy change.”

He has been open about his struggle with addiction.

“It's been nine years now,” he said. “Treatment was the only time in my life where I spent 30 days focusing on me. I spent my whole career focusing on others. It was probably the most healthy experience I've had. I tell people, 'If you're struggling, there are ways to get help.'”

Despite his football background, he did not get involved in the program at Crane.

“I watched from afar,” he said. “They tried to get me roped in. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I think there's a way to do things. It's hard for me to do it somebody else's way, so I just kind of stayed out of the way.”

Hawley, the defensive coordinator for much of his time at Vale, will assume that role with Crane. The offensive coordinator will be Jeff Jacobs, Vale's head coach from 2002 to 2009.

“We're getting the band back together,” Hawley said.

Hawley and Jacobs must make the adjustment from the 11-man game to eight-man. Hawley said he needs to study up on schemes, but he is confident that the basic fundamentals will translate.

“We're going to be the most physical team on the field every time,” he said.

Aside from the Xs and Os, Hawley also must adjust to a 1A landscape that has been shifting since the introduction of the six-man game and 2A going to nine-man.

“I just wish the eight-man across the state wasn't shrinking so quickly,” he said. “It's really increasing the travel at the eight-man level.”

Crane went 8-2 last season, losing to Myrtle Point in the state quarterfinals. Expectations are high at Crane, where the Mustangs had only three losing seasons under Travis.

“I coached in Vale. I know what expectations are,” Hawley said. “I know that 9-1 sometimes isn't good enough. But I'm also realistic.”