Ferris boys basketball coach Don Van Lierop retires
After 30 years of coaching, Don Van Lierop is stepping away.
The Ferris boys basketball coach retired last week.
“I felt like it was time,” Van Lierop, 52, said. “I had some great experiences and made some great friends that I wouldn’t have without sports.”
Van Lierop’s coaching resume reads like a Rand McNally map. His record at Ferris was 252-96 overall, 184-70 in league. But he was a head coach – albeit briefly – at five other schools.
He started his head coaching career at Waterville-Mansfield for just one year. He spent a year at Chewelah, two years at North Central, a year at Davenport and three years at Eisenhower in Yakima with four stints as an assistant to the late Wayne Gilman at Ferris.
His overall record in 22 seasons as a head coach is 330-199.
The highlight of his career came when he coached the Saxons to back-to-back State 4A championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Ferris finished 29-0 both seasons.
There were some bumps along the way at Ferris. After his third season, his contract wasn’t renewed.
Van Lierop filed a grievance and after sitting out a year was reinstated.
Ferris finished 10-11 overall this season with just one senior. The Saxons started all underclassmen.
Van Lierop credits a pair of Hall of Fame coaches – the late Wayne Gilman, whom Van Lierop succeeded at Ferris, and Denny Humphrey – for their impact on his coaching career.
“I didn’t realize how lucky I was to start out with a Hall of Fame coach (Humphrey) who connected me to another Hall of Fame coach (Gilman),” Van Lierop said. “I knew they were great guys but I didn’t realize at the time how special they were. Our friendships went beyond coaching. I am blessed.”
Among possible successors at Ferris are longtime assistant and current girls head coach Rob Servine; former Ferris and Gonzaga University standout Sean Mallon, in his first year teaching at Ferris; assistant Brian Kissinger, former head coach at Rogers; and current Rogers coach Joel Soter, a Ferris grad.
Several phone calls to Ferris athletic director Stacey Ward were not returned. She sent a brief email confirming Van Lierop’s resignation, stating, “We wish him the best.”