Inglemoor boys basketball coach Greg Lowell heads into WIBCA Hall of Fame

For three decades, coaching basketball has been the best part of Greg Lowell’s day.

Don’t worry, his wife of 14 years, Marianne, approves of his life immersed in hoops.

“She’s been a rock through all of this — the hours you put in practicing and scouting games and how coaches are,” Lowell said.

For Greg’s dedication to the sport, the longtime Inglemoor boys coach will be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Lowell is part of a five-member class that will be honored at the 45th annual banquet this summer.

Lowell is a 1981 Anacortes grad who led the Seahawks to three state basketball appearances as the point guard. The star athlete held the state record for passing yards in a game (416, which has been broken many times since). He was also an all-state baseball player, the sport he played at Washington State.

Given Lowell’s passion for basketball as a kid, none were surprised to see him pop up on the sideline first as an assistant coach at Blanchet and eventually as Inglemoor’s head coach in 1988.

“I’m a competitive person,” said Lowell, who also teaches math at the school. “It’s very fun just to see if you can get your kids to play as a group. And as you get older and go through the relationship with the kids, it’s fun to see them later on when they come back and talk to you when they’re adults.”

Lowell has a career 387-337 record at Inglemoor, making five Class 4A state tournament appearances and winning two district and KingCo 4A championships during an era when Roosevelt, Franklin and Garfield were part of the league. The Vikings’ best finish at state under Lowell’s leadership was fifth in 2005.

Inglemoor hasn’t reached state since 2017. Lowell earned KingCo Coach of the Year honors that season — his fifth.

One of Lowell’s former ball boys, Zach Shimek, is now a co-captain and has helped get the Vikings off to a 3-0 start.

“We’re not the biggest team in the world, but we’re pretty skilled,” said Lowell, whose team beat  Lynnwood 71-46 at home on Friday. “This year our league is really, really good and there’s a ton of balance. Mount Si on paper has the most skilled kids and they’re back after last year playing for the state title, but there are going to be a lot of really good games. I’m as excited as ever.”

The WIBCA will also enshrine assistant coaches Gary Archer (Ephrata), Monte Cummings (Kelso), Ron Rakoce (Battle Ground), and Greg Wirtz (Mountlake Terrace). The ceremony is set for July 23 at the Nile Country Club in Mountlake Terrace.

Tickets can be purchased online at WIBCA.com.

“I’m humbled by the whole thing, really,” Lowell said.