Gil Coleman grew up in Morton and graduated from Morton High School in 1974. He played for Hall of Fame Coach, Ron Nilson. His senior year they won the District Championship and finished 8th at the State A Tournament. Gil was a team captain his senior year and also competed in Cross Country while at Morton.
After graduation Gil attended Washington State University for one year and then Sheldon Jackson Junior College where he was also team captain the year he played
there. Gil finished his education at Central Washington University where he was an assistant for Hall of F amer Dean Nicholson for two years. Gil received his Social Studies education degree from Central in 1981. He then began his high school coaching career as the head coach at Onalaska. Gil’s first year they went 16 -_ Sand just missed a state tournament appearance. His second season at the helm they went 28 – 0 to win Onalaska’s only state championship in boy’s basketball and Gil was named State B Coach of the Year. Gil coached one more year at Onalaska and then left to become the head coach at Juanita High School in Kirkland. Gil coached five years at Juanita highlighted by 2 state tournament appearances, including a 5th place finish in 1988 and four out of five KingCo Conference Divisional titles.
After five years at Juanita, Gil returned to his alma mater as Dean Nicholson’s top assistant. The following year Gil replaced Dean as the head coach at Central. During Gil’s first year CWU was on NAIA suspension and were not playoff eligible, although they had the best record in the conference. Gil’s second, third and fifth years at Central he was named Conference Coach of the Year. His teams won the conference in all three of
those years and twice went to Kansas City to the NAIA National Tournament including 1992 – 93 when the Wildcats finished with an outstanding overall record of 19 – 6. Inaddition to his conference coach of the year awards Gil was also the 1995 west Region Coach of the Year. Gil marriedTeresa in 1978 and in January of 1982 their son GE was born. GE, like his father, has a great passion for the game and is currently an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University. Gil and Teresa separated in 1987 but remained friends until his passing. In 1988 Gil married Lorrie who remained his wife until his passing. Their son, Riley, was born in 1993. Gil’s overall high school coaching record was an outstanding 158-48, his college coaching record was 92 – 64. He passed away from cancer related complications March 6, 1995. There is no doubt had he not passed away, he would have gone on to continue being an outstanding coach and making a positive difference in young men’s lives for another 25 – 30 years. Few coaches have ever matched or exceeded the love and passion for the game that Gil Coleman possessed.
