Koester ends successful hoops career
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EVERETT — Jerry Koester has resigned for the second time as boys basketball coach at Cascade High School. This time, he apparently means it.
Koester resigned two years ago, then changed his mind and came back to coach for two more seasons.
He recently resigned at the conclusion of the Bruins' 2001-02 campaign, during which they compiled a 12-10 record. That completed an eight-year stint at Cascade, during which time the Bruins compiled a 126-68 record — including one state-tournament appearance (1999).
Cascade Athletic Director Doug Kloke said Koester had expressed his desire to leave the Cascade position for personal reasons.
Koester could not be reached for comment.
"I think that after coaching the years that he did, he had reached a lot of his goals and he felt it was time," Kloke said. "With a head coaching position, there's a lot of other responsibilities, like summer basketball and working with the middle schools. He's done that for so many years."
The decision marks what appears to be the end of a legendary high-school coaching career in the Pacific Northwest — 29 years as a head coach at high schools in Washington and Idaho. He also was an assistant coach at Idaho State.
Koester compiled a 557-218 career record as in Washington and Idaho high schools.
He won two state championships at Redmond, where his eight-year record was 190-41. At Redmond, he turned a losing program into a state power that produced seven consecutive state-tournament appearances, back-to-back state championships in 1988 and 1989, a runner-up finish (1991) and two third-places finishes (1992, 1993).
Koester, whose teams were known for tough defense, reached the 550-win plateau earlier this season, and his Bruins teams finished first or second in WesCo 4A and WesCo 4A North in seven of his eight seasons. This year, Cascade finished third in its division.
Kloke said Koester will remain on staff at Cascade as a physical education teacher and boys and girls golf coach. There is one applicant for the basketball job from within Cascade High School, and applications are now being accepted from those interested across the state.
Koester is the second Everett School District boys basketball head coach to resign this month. Jackson's Eddie Mascari also resigned at season's end from the Mill Creek school.
"We would like to get somebody hired before it gets too late in the spring," Kloke said of the Cascade opening.