Washington’s top high school girls basketball coaches: Meet the top 10 toughest active coaches to face off with in a game
Over the next few weeks, SBLive will be taking a position-by-position look at some of the top players and coaches in Washington high school girls basketball.
First stop: Toughest active coaches to defeat in a game.
There are hundreds of good girls coaches in Washington, and SBLive polled 25 coaches statewide, in all classifications, to weed out the top 10 minds for game action. All selections are listed in alphabetical order.
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QUANTAE ANDERSON, Mead
When you face Anderson's squads at Mead, you better bring your hard hat. No team in the state plays the physical brand of man-to-man pressure than the Panthers. After spending three seasons at Davis of Yakima, Anderson arrived at Mead in 2011 - and all he has done is enjoy success with nine winning seasons in 11 years in the tough Greater Spokane League, including a convincing run to the Class 4A title in 2012-13, finishing 24-1.
What an opposing coach says: "He's super tough-minded, and very good at preparing a team to play hard all the time. He's tough - so his kids are tough. He makes great decisions in preparation, changes things up enough to make you ... play the chess game, if you will."
BRADY BOMBER, Lynden Christian
What's the best way to follow a hall-of-fame coach like Curt DeHaan? Just keep it going. And the high-IQ Bomber has done just that in his eight yers at the Lyncs' helm, posting 20-win campaigns in each of his first six full seasons, including four trips to the Class 1A championship games. Perhaps none of his three state titles were as memorable as the one in 2019-20 when the Lyncs came back to beat senior Hailey Van Lith-led Cashmere, 58-55, in the finals.
What an opposing coach says: "Calmest dude in basketball, and his teams reflect his demeanor. They never panic, regardless of score. They execute as well as anyone, and when it's winning time in the fourth quarter, they always seem to get good looks as a result of that execution."
BRITNEY ERVIN, Washougal
Not many coaches win a state championship in Year 2 - but Ervin (formerly Britney Knotts) did when she led the Panthers to the Class 2A title in 2018-19. And yet, considering her lifetime involvement in the sport, Ervin acted more like a veteran teacher than a rookie in the lead chair. The Mountain View and The Evergreen State College product stresses fundamental, disciplined play - but her teams can attack both with quickness and physicality.
What an opposing coach says: "She is a really good coach. I have tons of respect for everything she is doing."
CHRIS GIBSON, White River
To know about the three decades of consistent excellence Gibson's teams have displayed at Franklin Pierce and now White River - the longtime coach will be receiving the inaugural John Wooden Legacy Award from Washington for his exemplary character and longevity. Oh, and earlier this season, he became just the fourth in-state girls coach to earn his 600th career coaching victory. All that is left on his to-do list is see his Hornets take home the big gold ball.
What an opposing coach says: "His teams are so consistent year-to-year in terms of buy-in and cohesiveness. His players' basketball intelligence speaks to his ability to teach the game well. He's demanding and has high standards, but he treats his players well. His parents are lucky to have their daughters playing for him."
ALYSSA GOINS, La Salle
When it comes to the best tacticians in Washington, Goins belongs on the short list. A former collegiate standout at Wenatchee Valley CC and Concordia University, she returned to the Yakima valley to first coach the La Salle boys in 2006, then steer the girls program to prominence starting a year later. And in 2018-19, her Lightning beat both Cashmere (semifinals) and Lynden Christian (finals) to cap a 27-0 season with a Class 1A championship.
What an opposing coach says: "Masterful at getting her players to learn their unique defensive system, and she gets her players to play with amazing effort and intensity. She has shown ability to create very specific game plans to defend great players or teams."
SARA GOLDIE, Eastlake
Goldie isn't into quick-fix success stories, she embraces the start-to-finish process of improvement - with hopes that her 4A KingCo Wolves are playing their best basketball in February and March. Case in point - the 2018-19 season when the Wolves entered the Class 4A tournament with six losses, but went untouched in their three games in the Tacoma Dome, including a 53-47 victory over favored Lewis & Clark in the championship game.
What an opposing coach says: "Her mid-game adjustments are so good, you never know what you are going to face on each possession - and she does it with a calm manner."
JOE MARSH, Arlington
If you like being in the pressure cooker, give Marsh a call. He is one of the state's top masterminds of fullcourt, man-to-man pressure - complete with lots of well-timed assignment switches. It was a style he developed when he was with the Arlington boys team before taking over the girls program in 2011. And the year after he led the Eagles on a surprising run to the Class 4A finals, losing to Mead in 2012-13, he unleashed the hounds the next year - and hasn't stopped since.
What an opposing coach says: "Joe Marsh's teams would give us headaches. He teaches the run-and-jump press more effectively than any high-school coach I've seen on the west side of the state."
KEN ROBERTS, Snohomish
By far the top vote-getter in the coaches' poll, Roberts is greatly respected as a pre-game motivator and a top-notch game strategist. After coaching the Tahoma boys team for three years, Roberts returned to his alma mater in the Wesco in 2000 - and has led the Panthers to 11 state tournament berths, including three trips to the 4A title game in 2005 (lost to Garfield), 2009 (lost to Kentwood) and 2016 (lost to Central Valley).
What an opposing coach says: "By far the best schematic coach out there. He always has a great plan, then two or three back-up plans and he gets his team to buy in and they can execute it. I’ve seen him take teams with way less talent all the way to the promised land and gets every ounce of quality out of players."
DAN TAYLOR, King's
That office light you see still on at midnight in north Seattle? Yep, it is courtesy of Taylor, whose thirst for basketball knowledge is unmatched. After leaving Meadowdale in 2009, Taylor has led the Knights to sustained success with six 20-win seasons, and three consecutive trips to the Class 1A championship game, winning it all in 2014-15. He is currently the president of the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association (WSGBCA).
What an opposing coach says: "I don’t think anybody works harder at it than Dan. He spends countless hours watching film, networking with other coaches and is really, really good at taking away whatever it is you do best."
CLARK VINING, Colton
His team's trademark is fast pace and shooting 3-pointers - something the Wildcats have done as well as any program in Washington. And no teams has dominated a classification like Colton has done in the Class 1B rankings, winning 10 state titles in 11 years (and a state-record 79-game winning streak) under Vining. Make no mistake, as fast as the Wildcats are - they are extremely fundamental in what they do. Vining already has 370-plus wins in 17 seasons.
What an opposing coach says: "There is never a game, whether it is watching them on film or playing them, that they are not ready to go. We always go into the matchup knowing we have to get through the first few minutes without them getting up by 20 (points), because they are so ready to go."
Other coaches who received votes: Corey Alexander, Beamer; Mike Arte, Gonzaga Prep; Scott Bullock, Woodinville; Chris Colvin, Liberty of Spangle; Brent Darnell, Cashmere; Randall Edens, Lake Stevens; Glen Flanagan, Woodland; Rob Garrett, Wahkiakum; Katie Grad-Hyppa, Sumner; Marvin Hall, Garfield; Ray Harris, Eisenhower; Brian Hill, Glacier Peak; Brett Johnson, Skyview; Robin Johnson, Tumwater; Rick Jones, West Valley of Spokane; Kyle Karnofski, W.F. West; Brett McLeod, Burlington-Edison; Gabe Medrano, Lewis and Clark; Gary Mills, Union; Taylor Mulberg, Roosevelt; Scott Novak, La Conner; Michael Poindexter, Port Angeles; David Pratt, Mount Spokane; Jon Price, Auburn; Enrique Puente, Sunnyside; Robi Raab, East Valley of Yakima; Damon Roche, Hockinson; Pete Smith, Tahoma; Matt Strophy, Moses Lake; Scott Thompson, Camas; Jeff Whitney, Ellensburg; Shane Wichers, Nooksack Valley; Jeff Wilson, Lake Washington.
(Featured file photo by Dennis Cairns)
