Novak to join State's elite coaching circle

He teaches math, but Scott Novak has long been a student of history.

Especially La Conner High basketball history.

Novak, a hoops coach at the school since 1988, has painstakingly developed within the foyer of Landy James Gym a virtual pictorial museum of La Conner basketball dating back nearly a century.

Now he’s about to make some history of his own.

Novak is among eight new members to be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this summer.

Novak will be honored July 23 in Tacoma, joining an elite fraternity that includes such icons as Judd Heathcote, Don Monson, and the late Marv Harshman – not to mention Novak’s personal favorites, Ron Brown of Centralia and Lyle Patterson of Naselle.

“I don’t know what to say at this point,” Novak told La Conner Weekly News on Sunday. “I grew up watching Ron Brown and Lyle Patterson coach at District tournaments in southwest Washington, and now to be included with them and the list of other people who’ve been inducted (into the Hall) is pretty amazing.”

Kind of like Novak’s tenure at La Conner High.

Longevity and State Tournament trophies aside, perhaps the most impressive of Novak’s achievements at La Conner – he arrived when Ronald Reagan was in the White House – is his having for an extended period coached boys and girls teams simultaneously.

“It’s something I’m really proud of,” said Novak, who has guided both the Braves and Lady Braves to Spokane.

His 2013 Braves, led by son Spencer Novak, an All-State guard now with the Skagit Valley College Cardinals, placed fourth in Spokane.

The 2015 Lady Braves, including daughter Katie Novak, posted a program best 26-1 mark en route to a third place State finish.

Novak is grateful for having spent the bulk of his career at tradition-rich La Conner.

“It’s a rarity these days for someone to be able to pretty much stay at one place,” said Novak, “so that’s another reason this honor is so special to me.”

The State coaches association began accepting nominations and inducting Hall of Fame members in 1975. Joining Novak in the Hall’s 41st annual class are Zillah’s Doug Burge, Richland’s Phil Neill, Kentridge High’s Dave Jamison, and former Concrete coach John Peterson, now at Willapa Valley.

In addition, longtime coach and author Jim Stinson will receive the Ed Pepple Service Award, named for the storied former Mercer Island mentor and Bob Houbregs Summer Basketball Camp director.

A trio of veteran assistant coaches – Jim Castleberry of Richland, Frank Mattson of the Yakima area, and Al Kawashima of Greater Seattle – are also being inducted in July.

The value of assistant coaches is one not lost on Novak.

“One of the things I take great pride in,” he said, “is that at least half of the assistant coaches we’ve had here have been former players of mine. To me, that’s a really neat thing.”

Because, for Novak, carving out a Hall of Fame legacy is akin to playing the game itself. It takes teamwork.

“What I really want to stress,” said Novak, “is that this isn’t about me. In my way of thinking, it’s more about all the many people at La Conner who’ve helped me out over the years.”