Eight years ago, Kevin Schultz applied to be W.F. West’s girls soccer coach, hoping to return to the same school he graduated from.
Eight years after getting passed over for a job he admits he wasn’t ready for — after stints at Tenino and in the college ranks — Schultz was named head coach of the Bearcats’ girls program last week for the upcoming 2023 fall season.
The 2005 W.F. West graduate said he was planning on fully committing to Centralia College as an assistant women’s soccer coach before the job opened and he applied. Shortly after his interview, he got the job.
“It wasn't like I was looking,” he said. “It's funny how things work out. It's always been a job I've been interested in. It was the perfect timing, I was free and not super tied to anything. I’m really excited.”
Schultz’s most recent head coaching gig was at South Puget Sound College, where he headed the men’s program for a year before returning closer to home, hoping to work with Centralia College’s women’s program this fall as an assistant.
Before that, Schultz was Tenino’s girls and boys head soccer coach for four years, where the Beaver girls saw newfound success. Schultz’s Beavers amassed a 57-14-3 record over four years, and earned their first state win in program history with the W.F. West grad in charge.
Now Schultz will take over a program in good shape, but looking to get over the hump. Per the WIAA’s website, the Bearcats’ girls program has never won a state playoff game, and has competed well in the 2A Evergreen Conference but just hasn’t quite got over the final hurdle in the toughest district in the state.
“We’re going to look to continue the success,” Schultz said. “Now let’s keep building and take the next step, which is really hard in this district. It's going to be tough, Tumwater is tough, they haven't lost a league game in like five years. Columbia River is the defending state champs, it's going to be tough to do. We’re going to be younger, but we want to keep building on that success.”
And for Schultz, the timing couldn’t have worked out better. A year removed from his departure as Tenino’s coach, and wanting to get back to making connections with his players, it was a no-brainer to return to Chehalis when the job opened.
“Since I started coaching high school it was always where I wanted to be,” he said. “I have a strong connection to Chehalis. I still go out and support, I have a lot of friends that teach and coach the building. Some of the friends that I went to school with have daughters that are going to be on the team. Knowing the community there, and knowing how they support athletics, I know it's going to be a lot of fun.”
