MICHELLE AKERS – Soccer
Michelle Akers was the most dominant player on the U.S. Women’s National soccer team from 1985 until retirement in 2000. She was named the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, she was a three-time prep All-America at Shorecrest High School in Seattle and later a four-time All-America at the University of Central Florida. She was named the USSF Female Player of the Year in 1990, 1991, and 1999. She was also a member of the 1996 Gold Medal Olympic team and the 1991 and 1999 World Cup championship teams.
WILLIAM “WEE” COYLE – Football
William Jennings “Wee” Coyle quarterbacked the Seattle High School football team to an undefeated record against high school competition. The team then went on to win the West Coast Championship and followed up by beating North Division High School of Chicago, 11-5, and were crowned the Interscholastic Champions of the U.S. Coyle also played on the baseball team in high school (later renamed Broadway HS) and in 1907 his teammates included Ten Million, Charley Mullen and Charley Schmutz.
Wee started at quarterback for four years under the legendary Gil Dobie at the University of Washington and from 1908-1911 the team was unbeaten with a 26-0-1 record. Coyle was captain of the 1911 team and was awarded eight letters as a Husky: football (4), baseball (3), and track (1), more than any athlete ever at the UW While practicing law at Gonzaga University in 1915 he coached the football team which lost 21-7 to Gil Dobie’s Huskies in Spokane. Wee was elected Lieutenant Governor of the State of Washington and served from 1921-1925. He managed Seattle’s Civic Auditorium from 1928-1953.
JUD HEATHCOTE – Coach (Basketball)
Jud Heathcote is a 1945 South Kitsap grad. After 14 years as the head basketball coach at West Valley High School in Spokane and seven years as Marv Harshman’s assistant at WSU, Jud began his head coaching career at the University of Montana in 1971, leading the Grizzlies to their first Big Sky Conference championship. He took over the reigns at Michigan State in 1976 where he guided the Spartans to three Big Ten titles, seven 20-win seasons and the NCAA championship in 1979 led by Magic Johnson.
During his tenure at MSU, the Spartans compiled a record of 340-194 with nine NCAA tournament berths. Noted for his excellent defensive strategies as well as being one of the most entertaining coaches ever in the game, Heathcote earned National Coach of the Year honors in 1990. In 2009 Jud was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
JOHN STOCKTON – Basketball
Following a successful high school career at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, John Stockton played four years at Gonzaga University where he led the West Coast Conference in scoring (20.9), assists (201) and steals (109) his senior year. The 1984 grad was also named the WCC Most Valuable Player that same season.
Stockton’s 19-year career as a point guard with the NBA’s Utah Jazz earned him recognition as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. The NBA all-time leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265), he was also a 10-time NBA All-Star. Stockton was also a two-time Olympian as a member of the “Dream Team” that won gold in Barcelona in 1992 and again in Atlanta in 1996. John’s achievements were capped off with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in September of 2009.
