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Mead baseball coach hangs up his cleats

By Chris Derrick chrisd@spokesman.com(509) 459-5515

Kevin Workman’s passion for baseball dwindled as his passion for teaching expanded.

Workman announced to his Mead baseball players Monday that he won’t return for a fifth year as the Panthers’ varsity coach. A waning interest in the sport was a major factor, Workman said.

“I’ve done a lot of changing in the last few years and discovered (long-term coaching) isn’t a path that I was going to take,” Workman said.

Workman said his position as history teacher is his biggest priority. He’ll expand his knowledge of the Constitution this summer as a recipient of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Workman, 28, guided this year’s Panthers to a 12-8 record and the No. 3 seed to the District 8 4A tournament. State 4A qualifier Shadle Park knocked Mead out of the district tournament.

“The fact that I was given the opportunity to coach at Mead for four short years was one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Workman, a 1994 North Central graduate.

“Kevin will be sorely missed in our program,” said Mead athletic director Dick Cullen. “We hope we can get him back in some capacity coaching in the future, but right now he is ready for a change.”

Workman played baseball for one season at Pepperdine University before transferring to Gonzaga University.

His wife, Amanda, is Mead’s varsity gymnastics coach. She’ll remain in that position.

“I can say, without reservation, that the bottom line is, Amanda is the best coach in this family,” Workman said. “I’m constantly impressed with her ability to keep the fire going. She’s getting hungrier every year. She’s exactly what Mead baseball needs at this time.”

Cullen said the school will move as quickly as possible to fill the position, with in-house coaches being considered.

Workman said he may return to coaching if the passion returns after a few years.

“As difficult as it’s been for some people to understand this decision, it’s been a clear, simple decision for me,” Workman said. “That’s why I’m at peace with it.”