Mike played basketball at Everett High School for his Hall of Fame father, Norm Lowery. Upon graduation he followed in his father’s and older brother Norm’s footsteps and headed to WSU in Pullman. He graduated in 1975 with a teaching certificate in physical education and health and took a job as the 9th grade coach at Chief Joseph Jr. High in
Richland where he became a part of that town’s storied basketball tradition. Mike moved to Monroe to coach the freshman team there for one year and then moved on to Marysville in 1981. He served under Dennis Kloke as a JV coach for three years and then took over as the head coach in 1984 and stayed for 22 years. One of the most amazing statistics of Mike’s coaching career is that his three assistant coaches, Jeff Thomas, Andy Delegans and Paul Dockendorf, stayed together on staff for 15 years. That could be a record.
Mike’s genius as a coach lies in one key area: He is a master at dealing with people, especially high school-age athletes. He takes extra time to understand each one and works overtime to make sure each and every player feels they are special. His associations and close ties did not end with their graduation. Mike often visits ex- players, watching them play in college or coach their own teams.
Mike knows the value of players 1-12. There were no stars on Mike’s teams. Every player was valued for his contribution and the TEAM came before everything else.
His most impressive coaching accomplishment was a run from 1988-1992 where the Tomahawks won the Western Conference title for four consecutive years. It is believed to be an all-time conference record. They came up short the next year, then went back to state the following year.
Mike is the father of two, son RJ and daughter Jill (who just joined her mom and dad as a WSU graduate) and his wife of 34 years, Gail, a teacher in the Everett School District, whom he met at Pullman and who was a loyal supporter and scorekeeper for Mike’s games during his entire career.
