Battle Ground boys basketball hall of famer and state title-winning coach Butch Blue died on Friday, Jan. 31. He was 78.
Blue first moved to Battle Ground in 1972, later becoming the boys basketball head coach in 1977, thus beginning an era in which the program saw its greatest success.
He led the Tigers’ basketball program for 26 years from 1977 through 2002. During that period, his teams won 405 games while losing only 198. He led the Tigers to seven outright league titles, three co-championships and six district championships.
His 1990 squad brought Battle Ground High School its first and, so far, only boys state basketball championship.
His 1989 team finished third in the state 4A tournament, and the 1991 squad finished second in the state 3A tournament.
Battle Ground’s 1990 boys basketball team finished with a 24-2 overall record and defeated Mount Vernon to claim the Class 3A state championship. The Tigers finished the regular season with a 14-1 record to claim the Greater St. Helens League title before moving on to claim the district and state titles. The 1990 squad was led by 6-foot-9 center Mike Brotherton and 6-foot-8 forward Scott Tharp.
Blue was employed in the Battle Ground School District from 1972 through 2007. His main teaching field was health and physical education, but he also taught English and Washington state history, according to previous reporting by The Reflector.
At the end of his career, he was an assistant principal and activities director at Battle Ground High School.
Blue was also an assistant football coach for about 20 years and served as head football coach in 1991.
Blue was inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006. At the time of his induction, he was one of only 14 hall of fame coaches in state history with over 400 career wins. He was later inducted into the Battle Ground High School Hall of Fame in 2011 along with the 1990 boys basketball team.
