Vote now: Who should be SBLive’s Washington High School Coach of the Week (May 15-20)?
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Washington High School Coach of the Week for May 15-20 as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff. Read through the nominees and cast your vote at the bottom of the page. Voting will conclude on Friday, May 26th at 10 a.m. If you would like to nominate a coach, tag us @SBLiveWA.
THIS WEEK’S WASHINGTON COACH OF THE WEEK NOMINEES:
Editor’s Note: Our Coach of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Coaches that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Casey Adcox, Sumner baseball
If the Spartans were going to make their third final four under the 16th-year coach, they would have to get through the toughest teams in eastern Washington - 4A CBBN winner West Valley of Yakima and top 4A MCC team Richland. Sumner won two nailbiters - 2-1 over the Rams and 8-4 over the host Bombers in extra innings.
Clark Murray, Ballard boys soccer
Lowest remaining seed in the WIAA boys soccer playoffs? It is this 3A Metro program, which has posted three Class 3A state-tournament shutouts (including a play-in game). The 14th-seeded Beavers' latest conquest was a 3-0 win over Seattle Prep. Murray was an assistant under former coach Mark McAlexander before his promotion.
Thad Nelson, Adna baseball
What a rally by Nelson and his Pirates on Saturday in Spokane. As the lowest-surviving seed (No. 11), they beat Cle Elum/Roslyn in the Class 2B first round, then won in dramatic fashion over third-seeded Chewelah - a three-run, two-out home run by Sawyer Terry in a 6-4 win. It's Adna's first final-four berth since 2018.
Barb Rasmus, Ocosta softball
Known more for her three decades in volleyball, Rasmus returned to Ocosta softball last season - and guided (along with ace pitcher Jessie Gilbert) the Wildcats on an improbable four-game district odyssey as the 2B Pacific's No. 3 team. They won the District 4 title over No. 1 Adna and earned the WIAA's tournament's No. 4 seed.
Eric Taylor, East Valley of Yakima softball
As the No. 3 from the 2A CWAC, the Red Devils had a daunting route to make the WIAA tournament for the first time since 2019. They cleared that path with a 10-3 victory Saturday over 2A GSL winner Shadle Park in Spokane. Ninth grader Tia Ramynke allowed no earned runs pitching and hit a three-run home run
