Former Grays Harbor women’s basketball assistant coach Rob Burton now has a chance to run the show.

Burton was promoted to the program’s head coaching position two weeks ago, replacing former head coach Chad Allan, who resigned after five years with the Chokers to take the girls head coaching position at Hoquiam High School.

Burton was hesitant to apply for the job at first and wasn’t sure if he had a realistic shot at being hired. But after promising interviews with Grays Harbor College administrators, Burton found himself climbing the coaching ladder quicker than he expected.

“I was surprised. I always pictured myself being the head coach, I just never thought it would be this soon,” he said. “I’m glad they gave me the opportunity and have the confidence in me to get the job done.”

Allan and Burton worked together for three years on the Chokers staff, with Allan grooming Burton for a head coaching job by giving him more responsibilities at practice.

In addition to Burton’s experience as a former student-athlete at Grays Harbor, Allan thinks his personality will be an asset in his first season at the helm of the program.

“His key is that the kids love him and gravitate toward him,” he said. “He’s well respected and they listen to him. That’s really going to help him be a leader when he gets into that head coaching position.”

For the moment, the former assistant coach is without any assistant coaches on his own staff. Burton has been in contact with a few coaches around the area but isn’t sure if he’ll have anyone working directly under him next season.

The program isn’t just facing turnover on the sidelines, but on the court as well. Only two players from last year’s team will return next season, and with Burton hoping to have nine players on his roster, he’ll have a relatively short amount of time to recruit seven new players.

The players Allan recruited will end up attending other schools now, but Burton said he’s looking forward to building his roster his way.

“I knew what Coach Allan wanted to do was take care of the players that were here and make sure the players he brought in had a place to go,” Burton said. “I have to find my own groove with how I want to recruit. It’s kind of a good thing that happened.”

Burton is more concerned about filling out his roster than filling the shoes of his predecessor. Of all the guidance Allan gave him, Burton said the most crucial piece of advice didn’t involve on-court strategy.

“There’s not going to be another Coach Chad and I don’t want to be a Coach Chad,” he said. “He told me that I had to be myself. There can only be one Coach Chad and there can only be one Rob Burton and I just want to be myself.”