Coach known to preach ‘putting sweat in the bucket’ earns state’s top award

Lynden coach Rob Adams has been selected the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for all classifications, according to WSGBCA president Dan Taylor.

“I’m very honored, but this is an award I think the entire team played a part in,” Adams said in a phone interview.

Adams is the second Whatcom County coach to win the honor the past three years, joining former Lynden Christian coaching legend Curt De Haan, who received the honor in 2015.

Adams now hopes to join De Haan with a second honor, Taylor said. As the Coach of the Year for all classifications, Adams will be the WSGBCA’s nomination for the National Federation of High School’s Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year – an award De Haan won two years ago.

After guiding the Lions to the Class 2A state championship game in 2015-16, Adams again helped Lynden get back to the title game earlier this month, this time beating Northwest Conference rival Burlington-Edison – a team the Lions had lost to three times earlier in the season – 44-36.

“It was a fun ride this year,” Adams said. “Those things are hard to win.”

The title was the second in program history and the second during Adams’ 10-year tenure at Lynden. The Lions also claimed the crown in 2008-09 and have made it to state nine times under Adams, claiming state trophies seven times, including six of the past seven seasons.

The Lions have compiled a 191-78 (.710 win percentage) record under Adams, who coached at Blaine before moving to Lynden.

Taylor said that Burlington-Edison’s Brett McLeod was selected the WSGBCA Class 2A Coach of the Year.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Coach known to preach ‘putting sweat in the bucket’ earns state’s top award."