Athletics Hall of FameJim Franklin
This year, we inducted Jim Franklin into our Hall of Fame posthumously. Jim, also known as “Coach”, served as Assistant Boys Basketball Coach in the 1980’s. He became Head Coach of the team, Athletic Director and Eighth Grade History teacher after he earned his Master’s Degree in Education. He won both the Athletic Director and Coach of the year awards three times each.
Jim’s assistant coach at the time, fellow Bush Athletics Hall of Fame member, Floyd Webb, shared some of his favorite memories:
- He took the boys team to state 4 or 5 years in a row. His team won the district championship several times. He set up games with Franklin, Cleveland and Lakeside - it was unusual for 3A schools to be willing to play a B level school. While we lost those games, they were competitive, and it made our players better.
- Some of our state championship games were broadcast by radio on campus. They didn’t know how to describe our mascot.
- His players loved Jim. He implemented some college coaching strategies. His strong focus on offense, including shooting the three, were a key part of his successful coaching tenure.
In addition to having a lasting impact on the Blazers Boys Basketball team and our athletic program as a whole, he was a strong advocate for lacrosse. Prior to working at Bush, he attended The University of Virginia, where he was an All-American Lacrosse player. Later in his career, he was a member of the Seattle Men’s Lacrosse club. He was also instrumental in growing the sport locally and served as a referee at both the high school and the collegiate level and was a member of the Washington State Lacrosse Association.
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 735 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities.
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