Who's coaching where? Washington high school football offseason coaching carousel (latest updates)

Which Washington high school football coaching jobs are changing ahead of the 2020 season? From active Hall of Fame coaches like Chiawana's Steve Graff to
Who's coaching where? Washington high school football offseason coaching carousel (latest updates)
Who's coaching where? Washington high school football offseason coaching carousel (latest updates) /

Which Washington high school football coaching jobs are changing ahead of the 2020 season?

From active Hall of Fame coaches like Chiawana's Steve Graff to Meridian's Bob Ames retiring among the winningest active coaches in state history, the offseason has brought change to many programs across the state.

Here are the changes already made and vacancies yet to be filled:

(Editor's note: this post will be updated throughout the offseason. Schools are listed in alphabetical order. If there are any coaching changes we missed, please email andy@scorebooklive.com. Last updated Feb. 16)

Chiawana High School (4A Mid Columbia Conference)

Curtis High School (4A South Puget Sound League

Darren McKay
Darren McKay
  • Curtis hired Todd Beamer coach Darren McKay to replace Chris Paulson, who resigned in November after five seasons. Curtis won four state championships under Bob Lucey, and McKay brings 17 postseason appearances worth of experience to the role. Curtis finished 1-9 last season.

Colville High School (Northeast 1A)

  • Colville has not announced a coaching hire after Randy Cornwell announced his retirement after 23 years in late January. Cornwell coached the team to a state title and 17 playoff appearances during his tenure. “Outside of my family, it's been my greatest joy,” Cornwell told The Statesman Examiner in Colville. “Incredibly rewarding. Watching kids grow into great adults, to see their kids and coach their kids … it's just rewarding.” Colville went 7-3 last season.

Fort Vancouver (Independent, football only)

  • Fort Vancouver has promoted assistant coach Doug Bilodeau to replace Neil Lomax, who stepped down after two seasons, said athletic director James Ensley. Bilodeau, a special education teacher at Fort Vancouver, served as the offensive and defense line coach under Lomax, the former NFL quarterback, the past two seasons, and previously was the head coach at North Marion (Ore.) from 2012-17. “He’s a solid guy with a good plan to go off of," Trappers athletic director James Ensley said. "He’s in-building, liked by the kids and the other coaches and we figured it would be the next step." The Trappers snapped a 30-game losing streak last season against Northwest Christian of Lacy (2B) amid its first season playing an independent schedule. It previously competed in the 3A Greater St. Helens League before going independent. It will remain independent for at least two more years for football only, and is expected to drop to the 2A GSHL in the upcoming re-classification cycle.

Glacier Peak High School (4A Wesco)

  • Shane Keck was promoted to interim head coach days before the team's season opener in September. On Thursday, Feb. 13, he was officially named head coach going forward. Under Keck, the Grizzlies went 7-3 with a third place finish in the 4A Wesco. They lost to Kentwood, 41-31, in a week 10 district game. Keck was previously the head coach at Cascade of Everett for three seasons.

Hanford High School (4A Mid Columbia Conference)

  • Hanford has not announced a replacement after coach Brett Jay stepped down after five years on Jan. 7. Under Jay, the Falcons went 25-25 and went from a winless season to a three-time playoff team. They went 6-4 last season and lost to Gonzaga Prep in the district crossover.

Kingston (2A Olympic League)

Meridian High School (1A Northwest Conference)

  • Longtime Meridian coach Bob Ames stepped down after 46 seasons, three state championships and 18 league titles. The school has not announce yet announced a replacement. 

Monroe High School (4A Wesco)

  • Longtime assistant Scott Darrow was hired to be Monroe's next head coach, the school announced Feb. 14. He replaces Michael Bumpus, who resigned as Monroe’s head football coach after five seasons. Bumpus, a former Washington State standout and Seattle Seahawk, led the program to its first playoff victory in 2017. Darrow has been an assistant coach at Monroe for 15 years under five different head coaches. "Scott was chosen because of his unique and long-term ties to the MHS and MHS Football community," Monroe athletic director Jeannette Siemers said in a district release. "He is the perfect candidate who already has established relationships with our student-athletes and I am confident that he will usher in a new era of Bearcat Football to continue to grow our program."

Nooksack Valley (1A Northwest Conference)

  • Nooksack Valley promoted positions coach Craig Bartl to replacement longtime head football coach Robb Myhre in December. Myhre stepped down from the post after 20 years and more than 100 wins. Bartl previously served as the program’s head coach in 1999, per The Lynden Tribune. The Pioneers went 3-7 last season.

North Mason (2A Olympic League)

Dr. Thomas Mosby (via North Mason School District, Facebook)
Dr. Thomas Mosby (via North Mason School District, Facebook)
  • North Mason announced Dr. Thomas Mosby as its next head football coach on Wednesday, replacing Frank Hepler Jr., who stepped down in late January. Mosby was an assistant under Hepler Jr., and previously coached at Nathan Hale, Pullman and Mount Si as well as Washington State and overseas.

Olympia High School (4A South Puget Sound League)

  • Olympia announced longtime Timberline coach Nick Mullen as its next head football coach on Tuesday night. Mullen went 79-40 in his 13 years as the head coach at Timberline. The Bears parted ways with Steve Davis, who was previously an assistant before being promoted to head coach. In three seasons, the Bears went 13-17.

Skyline High School (4A KingCo)

  • Skyline has not announced a hire to replace Mat Taylor, who stepped down as the school’s head coach Jan. 10, citing a desire to spend more time with family. Taylor won four state championships in 12 seasons in the role, and was previously an assistant for nine seasons.

Woodland High School (2A Greater St. Helens League)

  • Mike Woodward, who coached the Beavers for three seasons (2016-2018), was hired to return to the sidelines a year after stepping stepping away from the program. Garrett Lutgen resigned on Jan. 17 after one season at the post. Woodward went 18-11 during that stretch, including a trip to the 2A regional playoffs in 2018. The Beavers went 2-7 last season.

Published
Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports
ANDY BUHLER, SBLIVE SPORTS

Andy Buhler is a Regional Editor of Texas and the national breaking news desk. He brings more than five years of experience covering high school sports across the state of Washington and beyond, where he covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason served on state tournament seeding committees. He works on the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a degree from Gonzaga and is based out of Portland, Oregon.