After 35 years, it's Boutin's time to go.

Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

Jim Boutin, one of only three college basketball coaches in Oregon to reach 600 victories, will pace the sidelines for the last time this weekend after a stellar 35-year career.

Boutin, who has coached the Lane Community College men's basketball team for 12 seasons, announced his retirement Feb. 26 in a locker-room speech to his team prior to the Titans' regular-season finale against Linn-Benton Community College - an 80-70 win to clinch a share of the Southern Region championship.

"It's been on my mind from the start of the year, and my wife (Jan) and I made the decision some time ago, but it was still hard to tell the team," Boutin said. "But it's time. I'm 60, I'm about to finish my 35th year coaching in college. It was the right time."

His overall record of 637-355 puts him behind only former Oregon State coach Ralph Miller (674) and current Oregon Institute of Technology coach Dan Miles (703) as the winningest collegiate coach in state history.

In his 12 seasons at Lane, Boutin is 240-102 overall and 120-48 in the Southern Region for an average of 20 wins per season.

They reached that mark this year, as the Titans begin the postseason with a 20-6 overall record. They will play Edmonds Community College (21-6) at 8 a.m. Friday in the opening game of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges 16-team championship tournament in Pasco, Wash.

Boutin has been Southern Region coach of the year four times, led Lane to five division titles (three were co-championships), three second-place finishes and six trips to the postseason. He helped the Titans win more division games during his tenure than any other team.

In his inaugural season of 1991-92, the Titans won the NWAACC championship, and in 1999 they were the conference runner-up.

"His numbers speak for themselves," said Lane interim athletic director Sean Mondragon, who will meet with health and physical education department chairman Patrick Laning next week to formulate a plan to replace Boutin. "He has established a great program with great kids."

Boutin's first college coaching job was at Willamette University in 1967, when he was just 25. Twelve years and 194 wins later, he moved on to Western Oregon, where he stayed for six highly successful seasons, averaging nearly 24 wins before a Division I job became available to him at Idaho State in 1985.

He led the Bengals to the NCAA Tournament in 1987, losing 95-70 in the first round to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. That same year, Idaho State also won a nonconference game against Oregon at McArthur Court, 62-57. After a couple of down seasons, he was forced out at Idaho State. He took a year off before coming to Lane.

"I've been an emotional, overachieving guy all my life," said Boutin, who grew up in Powers before going on to become an all-America basketball player at Lewis and Clark College. "I've tried to instill that in my players."

Which is why many on his current team were stunned by his announcement last week.

"It was kind of a shock when he told us," said freshman forward Jered Alsup, Lane's leading scorer and a member of the all-league first team. "I had heard rumors and had people hint about it to me, but it still was a shock when he told us."

"He has so much energy still, you see it every day in practice," said sophomore guard Paul Miller, another first-team all-league member.

Others saw the writing on the wall.

"He's always talking about fishing anyway, and how much his older brother enjoys retirement," freshman point guard Joel Worcester said with a smile. "I saw it coming."

Despite speculation to the contrary, Boutin insists he is not retiring because of the current budget crisis at Lane. There is growing concern that the lack of state funds has created a situation where the LCC Board will opt to eliminate the athletic department altogether. And even if that doesn't happen, there will in all likelihood be another cut to the athletic department budget, which already lost 30 percent of its funding this year.

"Even if Lane didn't have athletics next year, I could have come back to teach classes," said Boutin, who has a doctorate in college administration.

Still, these past few years Boutin has had to spend more time fund-raising. Sometimes the coaching has seemed secondary.

"He's worked so hard and put in so much effort to keep the program, even though he knew he wasn't going to be here next year. I look at that as a pretty selfless act," Miller said.

"He deserves to go out on top," said volunteer assistant coach Dave Brautigam, who played the previous two seasons for the Titans. "I know he thinks he should retire, but there are a lot of people who play basketball who still need him. I don't think it's time for him to retire."

Too late, said Boutin.

"I'm going to join a golf club and golf four times a week and work on my (12) handicap," Boutin said. "I'll also do a little fishing. You know, everybody I've talked to, especially those who have been in my profession, they say it's nice to have every day be a Saturday."

First, however, comes this weekend and his chance to ride off into his future life of leisure with a trophy under his arm.

"I don't want to win for one last hurrah," Boutin said. "I'm a competitor. Every game you draw a line in the sand, and this is no different because of what's happened. I want to win because I want to win."

Even after 35 years, some things never change.

CAPTION(S):

Brian Davies / The Register-Guard Lane Community College men's basketball coach Jim Boutin is retiring after coaching the Titans in the upcoming Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges tournament in Pasco, Wash. Boutin has 637 victories, which is the third-most for collegiate coaches in Oregon. L C C b a s k e t b a l l JIM BOUTIN'S RECORD Years Record Overall Willamette University 1967-79 194-130 194-130 Western Oregon University 1979-85 143-43 337-173 Idaho State University 1985-90 60-80 397-253 Lane Community College 1991- 240-102 637-355 Please turn to BOUTIN, Page E2 Boutin: Career started at Willamette University Continued from Page E1