Published January 23, 2013
Olympia football coach Bill Beattie will be inducted into state football coaches Hall of Fame Saturday
Olympia High School football coach Bill Beattie will be one of four new members inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Associations Hall of Fame Saturday in Everett. The induction ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at the Everett Holiday Inn.He joins a class of three other coaches to be inducted: Dave Lutes (Kentwood), John ORourke (Columbia River) and Del Tally (Okanogan, Sunnyside, Mark Morris, North Beach).Its quite an honor and testament of the coaches and players Ive had a chance to work with over the years, Beattie said of the honor. I was super stunned. I still feel that way. ... It's truly is a great honor."Beatties coaching career began in the early 1980s as an assistant coach at Tenino and Tumwater before landing his first head coaching job at Elma in 1988. He coached the Eagles for seven seasons before taking over at Olympia in 1995. His Bears have won five 4A Narrows League titles since 2005. When Beattie, 53, thinks back on his 31-year coaching career, his family, community members, coaches and players have been the most important. Thats what the award really reflects," Beattie said.