As organized practices for the 2017 high school basketball season get underway this week, long-time coach of the Mountlake Terrace Hawks boys basketball program Nalin Sood can add a new title to his resume: Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) Hall of Fame inductee.

The WIBCA has announced that Sood will be inducted into their Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual banquet next summer.

Sood, a 1987 graduate of Mountlake Terrace High School, has served as the head coach of the boys’ program since 2001. During that time the Hawks have qualified for a WIAA state tournament ten times and placed third in state in 2005 and fourth in state in 2013.

In addition to coaching, Sood has served as the WIBCA Executive Director for the past ten years. He is also the President of the National High School Basketball Coaches Executive Board, a member of the National Federation of High Schools Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and a past President of the Washington State Coaches Association.

Sood is the second Mountlake Terrace coach to be inducted into the WIBCA Hall of Fame; former MTHS Coach Roger Ottmar – whom Sood served under as an assistant coach – received the honor in 2005.

Sood will be joined in the WIBCA Hall of Fame Class of 2018 by Marv Morris (former coach at Shorewood, Shorecrest and King’s High Schools), Larry Walker (former coach at Lewis & Clark High School and athletic director at Everett Community College) and Hal Williams (long-time assistant coach at Tenino High School).

At their annual banquet next summer the WIBCA will also present the Ed Pepple Service Award to Mel Moore for his work at state tournaments in Yakima and the Pat Fitterer “You Gotta Love It” Award to Arlington Coach Nick Brown for his positive contribution to coaching.

The WIBCA 43rd annual banquet will be held July 24 at the Nile Country Club in Mountlake Terrace.

–By Doug Petrowski