Marc Wiese on what he is leaving behind with Puyallup baseball: 'We've set the bar so long'

Wiese confirmed Wednesday he is retiring from leading the Vikings' program after 30 years, winning a pair of WIAA championships

Longtime Puyallup coach Marc Wiese has been a polarizing figure in Washington high school baseball - both for his team's sustained excellence and outspoken nature. / Photo by Vince Miller

Marc Wiese admitted he was mostly settled on his end-of-school-year curtain call with Puyallup High School baseball before the spring season began.

And then he got into the heat of the regular-season battle - winning another 4A SPSL championship and stalking a WIAA title - and put all thoughts of leaving aside.

It wasn't until he was chatting with a few of his assistant coaches on a text-message chain from his lake house right before the playoffs started when suddenly he got choked-up.

"I told them, 'It is an emotional time!'" Wiese said. "I knew then."

A week after announcing to his team and the end-of-season banquet that he was retiring, Wiese, 55, let the cat out of the bag publicly Wednesday, confirming he was leaving the school's head-coaching chair after 30 seasons.

Through this past season, Wiese guided the Vikings to 18 consecutive league titles, and to the Class 4A playoffs 18 times in a row - winning WIAA titles in 2014 and 2017.

He also has totaled 584 coaching victories at the school during that span.

And yet, Wiese doesn't want his legacy defined by the staggering numbers of success, but rather by how he noted Puyallup has raised the profile of baseball in Washington.

"Honestly, for me, I would have loved to win a couple more state championships," Wiese said. "But what we did to put Puyallup on a national map, we've set the bar so long and improved the game here at the high-school level. That is what I am most proud of."

By his own doing or not, Wiese has been a lightning-rod figure for controversy and criticism - especially at the end of this season.

With not only a third Class 4A championship in view, but also hopes of a national title with it, undefeated Puyallup came to Yakima in late May brimming with optimism.

But in the state semifinal nightcap against Lake Washington, the Vikings fell into a big hole before the non-working grandstands' lighting issue came to light at Parker Faller Field on the campus of Yakima College.

Wiese protested the issue in-game - and the game was suspended until Saturday morning. Puyallup lost, 8-1.

He also publicly criticized the WIAA's choice of the state-championship site to his hometown newspaper, The (Tacoma) News Tribune, which was on site for the game.

A few days later, WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman responded to Wiese's comments, noting anger over the lighting problem was an issue with underperforming contenders.

Wiese said Wednesday that the WIAA's reaction to the Class 4A/3A championship-site issues was a "nail in the coffin" in cementing his end-of-2025 retirement plans.

And he admitted he had "never been more emotional in his life" announcing his retirement decision to players and coaches at the banquet.

"No regrets," Wiese said, "but after 30 years ... it's someone else's turn."

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