That he ultimately became a successful football coach, particularly at Auburn High School, didn’t diminish his love for the diamond sport.

It paid off in a big way this spring.

After another autumn of leading the Trojans into the state football playoffs, Gordon Elliott was back in the ballpark this spring as Auburn’s junior varsity baseball coach – just as he had been for the past three seasons.

But with the unexpected resignation of new head coach Brian Embery at midseason, Elliott moved up to the varsity helm. And with a bond already established between himself and the players who had worked their way up through his JV program, the Trojans just kept going and went all the way to the Class 3A state quarterfinals before their final out of the season.

For the results he produced – not to mention his two-sport versatility – Elliott has been named the Reporter’s Auburn-area Prep Coach of the Year.

“The way you approach the game and approach things is just a little bit different,” Elliott said in comparing his two favorite athletic pursuits. “Football is a lot more specialized as far as position. Baseball is specialized, but everyone hits, everyone throws. You’re teaching the same skills to everyone in baseball a little bit more. Football is a pretty emotional game, and really team-oriented as far as execution. Baseball, there are team aspects, but it’s also an individual execution-type of sport.

“They’re different.”

On the gridiron, Auburn had to fill some big holes left by graduation, most notably at quarterback after Kellen Kiilsgaard took his talent to Stanford.

After a rough start when they lost two of their first three, including their South Puget Sound League 3A opener to Franklin Pierce, the Trojans rolled up six straight victories. They posted a 34-7 rout of Arlington in the regional round of the state playoffs before running into eventual state runner-up O’Dea in the round of 16. The Irish won that one, 35-3, but Auburn still finished 8-3 overall.

“Going into it, we lost a lot of players and had a lot of question marks,” Elliott said. “We started out a little bit rocky, had some injury and discipline issues, and it took us awhile to get together as a team.

“Once we came together and started playing like we were capable of, we were a good team,” he added. “The kids did a good job of maximizing potential.”

Auburn’s baseball program already had a new look this year. After two straight runner-up state finishes – at the 4A level in 2006 and at 3A last year – and after building one of the state’s best programs, head coach Tim Kuykendall stepped down to take the coaching job at Curtis High, which was just a few blocks from his home in University Place. Embery took the reins.

Sudden change

But after just 11 games, with the Trojans at 5-3 in league play and 7-4 overall, Embery resigned, although he preferred not to comment on his reasons for doing so. Elliott, who also did the football-baseball thing when he was at Camas High in Southwest Washington, was tabbed to take charge.

“I’ve never been through anything like that before. The kids did a great job and made me look a lot better,” Elliott said. “Taking over the program, I’d coached all the kids anyway. It wasn’t like someone coming off the streets.”

Auburn went 10-2 under Elliott, tying Bonney Lake for the league title (but getting the No. 1 spot on tiebreaker criteria), and winning the West Central-Southwest District tournament. The Trojans then went 10 innings in the quarterfinals with Kelso before the Hilanders, who eventually finished as state runners-up, escaped with a 10-8 victory, leaving Auburn with a final record of 17-6.

Garrett Rutledge, honored earlier as the Reporter’s Male Athlete of the Year, got to play for Elliott in both sports.

“His leadership skills in both are pretty apparent,” Rutledge said. “For football, he’s pretty vocal. He keeps us motivated, stays positive, and makes you feel pretty positive. For baseball, he’s a lot more laid back. As long as he was motivating us and staying positive, things were good.

“We all pretty much had a bond that was already there when he stepped in,” Rutledge added.

Where to from here?

Elliott definitely will be back on the football field for his seventh season at Auburn when turnouts start in August. He plans to be back in his baseball uniform next spring, too. Whether it’s as the varsity or JV coach remains to be seen.

One thing he makes clear without hesitation is that the team comes first.

“We have a successful program, and the kids in that program deserve to have someone who (makes baseball) his No. 1 priority,” Elliott said, readily acknowledging the offseason time demands that both baseball and football now require. “I’ll do whatever is best for the baseball program. I’m more than willing to step back down and be the JV coach again. But if they want me as head coach, I’ll do that.”

Elliott’s first love might always be football. But baseball still occupies a prominent place in heart and mind.

“I thought maybe there were times in my younger coaching years where I thought baseball might be my sport, just based on opportunities,” Elliott said. “I had an opportunity to do both in Camas.

“It’s a good contrast.”

A good calling, too, if you’re Gordon Elliott.

No matter what season it is.