As a basketball coach:
Les coached for 41 years: 22 of those years at East and 10 more at Bremerton after the schools merged in 1978.
Les Eathorne was the only coach in the history of East High School.
In 1993, Les was inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In 1976, Les Eathorne was recognized as the National High School Athletic Director of the Year
Only 2 other coaches in the state of Washington have coached longer than Les Eathorne; Mercer Island’s Ed Pepple: 47 years with 914 wins ranks 1st in wins and Centralia’s Ron Brown: 46 years with 611 wins ranks 3rd.
Les’ 502 wins ranks 8th all time in Washington State High School Basketball history
Les took 8 teams to the state tournament in his 22 years as coach at East. He had a 3 year run from 1972-1974 in which East finished 2nd and then 2 consecutive state championships.
The state championship teams of 1973 and 1974 finished a combined 51-2.
In 2005 he was inducted into the Kitsap County BAR Sports Hall of Fame as a coach and as a player. As a Bremerton High School Basketball athlete:
– As a junior in 1941, Les was named All State and led the Bremerton Wildcats to a state championship under Coach Ken Wills.
– In 1942, as a senior, Les was captain of the Bremerton team that finished 2nd in state, losing by only 2 points in the championship game.
Ken Wills once said that Les Eathorne and Louie Soriano were the 2 best players he ever coached at Bremerton High.
(To view a picture in the slideshow, put curser over picture to pause slideshow.)
TERRY MOSHER – A THREE PART SERIES ON LES EATHORNE
Les Eathorne revisited on the three-year anniversity of his death, Part I
Les Eathorne grew up in Bremerton, played basketball for legendary coach Ken Wills and was a junior on the 1941 team that won the state championship. He played basketball at the University …
Part II with Les Eathorne: He finds basketball and the sport takes him places he never thought he’d be
Editor’s note: Les Eathorne grew up in Bremerton, played basketball for legendary coach Ken Wills and was a junior on the 1941 team that won the state championship. He played basketball at …
Eathorne Part III: He follows his coach, Ken Wills, into the same profession, and when he left it he wanted it known the best thing he did was he tried hard
Les Eathorne is pulled back in this famous photo that soared around the world. The referee is Lloyd Pugh. It’s not clear who was pulling on Les’ jacket. Editor’s …
The Sun Article by John Wallingford: Les Built Legend at East
Link to the 2024 article “Les Eathorne and East High” written by Lane Dowell was published in the WSCA publication The Washington Coach– click here to view article.