Photo by Todd Milles
Lots of Seattle-area championship hardware part of 2022 WIBCA hall-of-fame class
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. - If you somehow found yourself matched up against O'Dea's Jason Kerr, Seattle Prep's Mike Kelly or King's Rick Skeen at a WIAA state boys basketball tournament - it usually meant you were doing something magical that week.
Because they were as well - with remarkable year-to-year consistency.
That Seattle-area trio of active coaches - all state champions with at least 400 career victories - were inducted into the WIBCA hall of fame Thursday night at the Nile Center.
Also part of 2022 class were a pair of South Sound stalwarts, South Kitsap's John Callaghan and Fife's Mark Schelbert.
If you take the combined amount of WIAA titles that Kerr (four), Skeen (three) and Kelly (one) have one out of the Seattle coaching fraternity, that is a good chunk of championship hardware.
Kerr is the only one in state history to win a Class 4A and 3A title with different programs - capturing three with Franklin in 4A/3A (2005-06, 2009) and one with O'Dea in 3A (2019), his current team.
WIBCA hall-of-famer Jason Kerr gives an acceptance speech.
Photo by Todd Milles
"Just to see the way he's evolved, from being an assistant at O'Dea, to being the head coach at Franklin and taking over his dream job back at O'Dea - and being so successful, it's been easy to root for him," said Tim Kelly, the four-time state championship coach now at Curtis.
Meanwhile, Mike Kelly was hired out of California to take over at winless Liberty nearly three decades ago. He spun that into a good run at Redmond - and a Class 3A state championship ride at Seattle Prep in 2006
Now, he is a WIBCA hall of famer.
"I feel like I've been able to coach in the state of Washington at a golden age of basketball," said Mike Kelly, who was recently hired to take over at Woodinville. "I've had a front-row seat to so many people with the last name of 'Brooks,' and 'Roy,' and 'Borchardt,'and 'Snow' and 'Downs.'
"It's been such a joy to have moments like this when you can step back and reflect on that journey ... of what has been a really awesome 25 years of basketball."
WIBCA hall of famer John Callaghan, of South Kitsap, gives a toast during his acceptance speech.
Photo by Todd Milles
Skeen coached some championship teams at King's that could have competed with contenders at any level. He won Class 1A titles with the program in 2015-16 and 2020. He is now the coach at Northwest University in Kirkland.
"It's such an honor," Skeen said. "I am just humbled, and thankful to be put in an opportunity ... to be successful."
Callaghan won four Narrows League titles and one West Central District title with South Kitsap, and retired with 303 victories.
Schelbert led Fife to nine state tournament appearances, and won a pair of WCD crowns.
On Tuesday, two coaches from the Spokane area - six-time Class 'B' state champion Ray Ricks, of Northwest Christian, and Central Valley's Rick Sloan - were inducted during the east-side WIBCA hall of fame ceremony on the Gonzaga University campus.
