Former Mule coach headed to hall of fame

Paul Dretsch, a former coach for the Wahkiakum Mules girls basketball program, will be inducted into the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in March.

He joins five other coaches this year as the WSGBCA's fourth class to join the Hall of Fame.

Dretsch taught in Wahkiakum schools from 1977 to 1990 and coached the Mules for seven of those years.

He later coached at Black Hills in Tumwater.

He finished with a record of 243-66 as head coach. He coached ten seasons with 20 or more wins. His teams earned eight league and six district titles. They made a total of 10 appearances at the state tournament, placing eight times, with a record of 26-12.

His 1979-80 Wahkiakum team took first place in the State B Tournament.

In 2002, Dretsch was picked as the top B coach for WIAA District 4 for the 1970s and 1980s. In 2007, he was selected to coach for Washington in the Washington vs. Oregon game during the Les Schwab Senior Classic.

"I am so humbled and so grateful as I know so many coaches that are so deserving of this honor. I hope those young ladies who played for me recognize this says so much about them, as well as the assistant coaches that coached with me over the years," Dretsch said. "I've been so blessed to have so many girls that represent everything a coach could ask for at Wahkiakum and Black Hills."