For over a year, Kalama football coach Mike Phelps has been contemplating his future in the Pacific Northwest.
His plans recently came to fruition when he officially stepped down as the Chinooks' coach on Thursday to move to Alabama. He emphasized that this was not a football decision, but a personal one; he has nothing but love for the program and players, and even "choked up" telling them about his decision.
"It was tough to know that I was leaving," he said. "(I wanted to) keep this under wraps and wanted to make sure the kids knew I wasn't giving up on them."
Phelps submitted his letter of recognition in December, listing Jan. 1 as his last day. He also agreed to continue such responsibilities as organizing the awards banquet, fundraising and weight room scheduling until a new head coach is selected in order to keep program continuity.
"I don't want anything to slow down the growth or success of the program," he said.
The school district aims to hire his replacement by the end of February.
Phelps was an assistant with the Chinooks from 2017-2021 before being named the head coach in 2022. As an assistant, he helped Kalama to state championships in 2017, 2018, and 2021 while finishing second in 2019. As head coach, he led the 'Nooks to a 21-19 overall record. They won the Central 2B-South title and advanced to the state quarterfinals in 2023.
Phelps also led the program during its transition back to 1A in 2024. The Nooks finished 4-5 overall with a 4-2 mark in the 1A Trico League this season. They fell to Cashmere 64-0 in the first round of the state playoffs.
"I feel a little bit disappointed about how the last two years ended," Phelps said. "Everyone wants to leave on the best way possible and getting smacked in first round of playoffs like we did is not what we wanted."
Phelps said he felt out of place in the Pacific Northwest because of his conservative political views.
"The PNW become a little unwelcoming to people like me," he said.
He was perplexed by some of the responses he received when his wife handed out T-shirts with slogans supporting Charlie Kirk to some of the Kalama football players at a nondristrict-related event. Phelps said he received parental permission to hand out the shirts featuring the assassinated conservative activist, and that all of the players that received one requested them. The subject became one of TDN's top stories of 2025.
"I have nothing to apologize for," he said. "I don't know why that became a thing, and to me, that's ridiculous. To me, it's water off the duck's back."
Kalama Athletic Director Brandon Walker also confirmed Phelps was not disciplined for his wife passing out the shirts.
At the time, Phelps said the school district instructed him not to comment on the issue to The Daily News.
So far, the community in Ashville, Alabama has been very receptive to Phelps and his wife.
"They just treat you nicer and better," he said. "Southern hospitality is a definitive thing, it's just different. (However,) the people of Kalama have been amazing. I have nothing negative to say about that."
The cost of living is also more affordable in Ashville, he added. He said he'll pay thousands of dollars less in property taxes, and although his house in Alabama is smaller than his residence near Kalama, he is getting much more bang for his buck, with a tram that takes him down to his boat, and lots of land for his animals.
"Something like this around (Kelso), I don't see it being less than $1.5 million, and we paid $620,000," Phelps said.
The weather was also a factor. It will still rain in Alabama, but it will be bright and sunny in the days following a downpour versus the many days in a row of rain that the PNW receives. He also said that the cold and rainy weather was contributing to his animals becoming sick.
"I was tired of getting rained on all the time," he said. "If you don't like the weather, it'll change. That's not the case in PNW."
Phelps also said he didn't like the direction that Portland, a city he worked in for 27 years but never lived in, was heading in. He cited the amount of litter and homelessness that he sees as well as the drug use. A Portland State University Point-In-Time Count conducted in January 2025 found that homelessness in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties increased by 61% from 2023-2025.
"It's not a very livable city," he said. "I've never lived there for a reason."
