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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

North Central Coach Retires After Varied Career

As a teenager, Joe Schauble dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Instead, he spent more than two decades coaching the mutually exclusive spring sport of track and field.

The dichotomy only serves as an example of Schauble’s versatility.

During a varied career that spanned 43 years, Schauble coached five different sports from elementary school through college, junior varsity and varsity, in parochial and public schools.

“Whenever anyone said they needed someone to coach, I went ahead and said I’d do it,” said Schauble. “I enjoyed sports.”

He retired this spring after teaching for 38 years, the last 30 at North Central High School. He had been head track coach at NC for the last 23 seasons.

“I’m going to miss it,” he said. “It will probably hit me next September.”

An unassuming and matter-of-fact person, Schauble had a master’s degree in administration but preferred teaching math and coaching.

Schauble also was co-director of Gonzaga University summer sports camps for eight years and he spent 11 years, until 1969, as a Spokane Parks Department recreational leader in charge of coaching baseball teams.

He also coached Vaughn Realty basketball for a time in Spokane’s old AAU Industrial League.

The 1952 St. John (Wash.) High School graduate went to Gonzaga on a partial basketball scholarship and played four years of baseball as a pitcher and catcher.

“Like anyone, one of my goals as a kid was to play professional baseball, but my eyes went bad so there was no pro contract,” Schauble said.

As a junior at GU he and a friend volunteered to coach St. Aloysius School’s football team, which won the city championship. His coaching career had begun.

While still in college he was asked to coach GU’s junior varsity basketball team and help with baseball. He served two years as intramurals director.

Schauble’s first high school teaching position was at Gonzaga Prep in 1958. He was head basketball coach for seven years, with a best City League season of 8-4, and assisted in football and baseball.

A public school system job came open in 1965 at Libby Junior High.

“I felt if I didn’t take it, it would become tougher to get in,” he said.

A year later he started at NC, where he again took on numerous coaching assignments before getting the track job in 1974.

When he had a chance for the head baseball position at Rogers High School, he said, he turned it down.

“I missed baseball somewhat, but one reason why I enjoy track more is that everybody got a chance to compete and you didn’t cut anybody,” Schauble said. “You could see their improvement.”

In keeping with his versatility, Schauble would coach whichever events his assistants didn’t want.

His best teams were the 1985 girls, who went 7-1, and 1991 boys, who went 6-2. He was Greater Spokane League coach of the year that season and again this spring.

North Central gave him four state champions. Wendy Wilson won the 1989 state high jump, was second and third. She also placed third and fourth twice in the long jump before graduating in 1991. Boys state champions were Mike Brady in the 1,600 in 1978, Jim Coombes in the 3,200 in 1980 and Wade Ingebritsen in the 800 in 1986. All told the Indians had 35 state placers during his tenure.

Now the time has come to leave all the events to someone else and try something new.

“My wife has a lot of things for me to do,” said Schauble.

He and Carolyn, his wife of 36-1/2 years, like browsing at garage sales and traveling.

The parents of four children, one in Spokane, two living in Western Washington and a fourth in the Chicago area, they’ll be kept busy on the road.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: JOE SCHAUBLE’S COACHING CAREER 1954 - St. Aloysius Parochial School football (won championship). 1956-57 - Gonzaga University junior varsity basketball coach (29-3 record). 1958 - Gonzaga University varsity assistant basketball and baseball coach. 1960 - Gonzaga University varsity baseball coach. 1958-65 - Gonzaga Prep varsity basketball coach, 1 year varsity football assistant, 6 years freshman football coach (4 championships), 6 years freshman baseball coach (2 championships). 1967-96 - North Central varsity track coach 23 years (best records, girls 7-1, 1985, boys 6-2, 1991) and two-time GSL coach of the year, 6 years frosh football coach (3 championships), 2 yrs assistant frosh football, 1 year assistant tennis, 2 years assistant girls basketball, 1/2 year boys B-squad basketball, 4 years B-squad baseball, 3 years track assistant.

This sidebar appeared with the story: JOE SCHAUBLE’S COACHING CAREER 1954 - St. Aloysius Parochial School football (won championship). 1956-57 - Gonzaga University junior varsity basketball coach (29-3 record). 1958 - Gonzaga University varsity assistant basketball and baseball coach. 1960 - Gonzaga University varsity baseball coach. 1958-65 - Gonzaga Prep varsity basketball coach, 1 year varsity football assistant, 6 years freshman football coach (4 championships), 6 years freshman baseball coach (2 championships). 1967-96 - North Central varsity track coach 23 years (best records, girls 7-1, 1985, boys 6-2, 1991) and two-time GSL coach of the year, 6 years frosh football coach (3 championships), 2 yrs assistant frosh football, 1 year assistant tennis, 2 years assistant girls basketball, 1/2 year boys B-squad basketball, 4 years B-squad baseball, 3 years track assistant.