Meet the new WIAA Class 4A football coaching hires: Lobbestael to Lobbestael handoff nets touchdown at Sunnyside

Being part of a Navy household on Whidbey Island, Marshall Lobbestael has always held an affinity for smaller communities.

And now he will get to lead his own remote-area high school football program for the first time - Sunnyside High School in Yakima County.

Lobbestael was hired in January to replace older brother, John, who stepped down after seven seasons.

"My parents (Ric and Dessa) were both in the Navy, and that is how we ended up in Oak Harbor," said Lobbestael, who turns 33 on May 1. "And honestly, the Sedro-Woolleys, the Pullmans and Sunnysides - they are super similar. It's a slower lifestyle ... and I am more comfortable in a rural, blue-collar situation."

Lobbestael was a 10-time varsity letterman in football, basketball and baseball at Oak Harbor High School, but is best known for leading the school to the 2006 Gridiron Classic title in Class 4A, and being selected as an all-state quarterback.

After that, he made 15 starts at Washington State University (2007-2011), passing for 3,871 yards and 26 touchdowns during his career with the Cougars.

When his brother got the job initially at Sunnyside in 2015, Lobbestael joined his staff as an offensive assistant for one season before head back to the west side to coach with Dave Ward, his former high school coach, at Sedro-Woolley High School.

Lobbestael returned to Sunnyside before the pandemic-altered spring season a year ago, and volunteered to coach outside linebackers for the past two seasons.

It made sense to drop anchor in this farming town 35 miles east of Yakima: With a growing family of two children, he was hired as a teacher at the high school. And his wife, Jordyne, was a two-sport standout at Sunnyside.

But taking over the helm of a football program?

"I talked to my wife first," Lobbestael said. "A lot of college coaches told me, if you get into coaching, your wife has to be on board. And she was super supportive. She encouraged me to do it."

And now it's his turn - with many holdover assistants still part of the program.

"I've told people, the (Sunnyside) program is where it is under my brother's leadership. It is a testament of how he motivates kids," Lobbestael said. "I just hope to maintain that."

Other offseason Class 4A coaching hires:

MIKE WOODWARD, Battle Ground

A Tigers' alum, Woodward has coached all over Clark County - at Mountain View, Hudson's Bay and five of the past six seasons (2016-18; 2020-21) at Woodland. He also coached in California for nearly a decade. And Woodward knows about deep playoff runs, leading Mountain View to back-to-back Class 4A semifinal appearances in 2001 and 2002.

FRED TREMAINE, Bethel

After serving as a first-year volunteer assistant for the Bison last fall, Tremaine was hired this winter to replace Chris Dent. Tremaine is a familiar face in the community - he was the organizational president of the Parkland Raiders' youth football program for 29 years before retiring in 2021. Ex-Navy officer never played football past junior high, and graduated from Franklin Pierce.

JEFF LOGAN, Graham-Kapowsin

The reigning Class 4A champions opted for continuity by hiring one of their own in Logan, an ex-quarterback for the Eagles who was the team's offensive coordinator under retiring longtime coach Eric Kurle the past three seasons. Graham-Kapowsin set the state championship game rushing record in its win over Lake Stevens - 524 rushing yards. Logan played at Montana Western, an NAIA program

MARCUS CARR, Inglemoor

To hopefully get this storied 4A KingCo program back on track, the school dipped into the small-school ranks for its new coach, replacing Steve Hannan. Carr posted winning seasons at 2B Concrete (two seasons) and 1A/2B Coupeville where he spent the past four seasons. A four-sport athlete in Lawton, Oklahoma, Carr is a Navy retiree who was also an assistant at Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor.

TYLER TUIASOSOPO, Mariner

Yes, that familiar name has resurfaced in Snohomish County. The former quarterback at Mariner comes home to replace retiring Mark Stewart after spending the past five seasons as coach at Western High School in Las Vegas, Nevada (helping that school snap a 43-game losing streak). Tuiasosopo was a former walk-on at UCLA before transferring to Long Beach City College, then finishing up at Azusa Pacific University.

STEVE BOTULINSKI, Mount Si

Talk about homegrown, Botulinski has lived nearly his entire life around the Mount Si program - from junior-football and high school player to one of longtime coach Charlie Kinnue's top assistants the past 12 seasons. In fact, Botulinski was named the Wildcats' associate head coach before last season while serving as the defensive coordinator. Was a former all-KingCo tight end who went to WWU.

JESSE POTES, Rogers of Puyallup

A special-education teacher in the Puyallup School District, Potes was hired to succeed interim coach Dane Looker, who stepped down after one season. Potes has been the team's line coach under Look and Gene Bowen the past six seasons before taking over. The Squalicum graduate was recruited to play at CWU, but ended up joining the college track and field team as a thrower.

ZACH MYERS, Tahoma

After spending the past three seasons as an assistant at Eastlake under Don Bartel/Kyle Snell, Myers makes the move to his first head-coaching gig. And he is replacing one of the longest standing coaches in the state in Tony Davis (28 years). Last fall, Myers coached running backs for the Class 4A semifinalists. Was also a former offensive lineman at Puyallup and state title-winning Skyline before going to CWU and WWU.

Editor's note: Kentwood's Mike Bush resigned in March. No replacement hire has been made. Expect that to happen sometime in May.

(All photos courtesy of Andrew Hamil/Sunnyside Sun)