South Kitsap's John Callaghan enters WIBCA Hall of Fame
It's been three years since John Callaghan retired as South Kitsap High School boys basketball coach, but his love for the sport is living on through his children.
Son Ryley led the Olympic College men's program to second place in the Northwest Athletic Conference in his first season as head coach in 2022, while daughter Kelsey will debut this winter as the new head coach of Olympic High School's girls varsity team.
The Callaghan trio were front and center at last week's Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame ceremony. John Callaghan joined other Class of 2022 inductees being honored at the Nile Center in Mountlake Terrace.
"Kelsey and Ryley introduced me, that was really cool," Callaghan said. "They are both teachers and coaches and chasing their dreams."
Other Class of 2022 inductees were head coaches Mike Kelly (Seattle Prep), Jason Kerr (O'Dea), Mark Schelbert (Fife), Rick Skeen (King's) and assistant coaches John Medak (Gig Harbor) and John Flannigan (Kentridge).
During his 21 seasons at South Kitsap, Callaghan won 304 games and guided the Wolves to six consecutive Class 4A state trophies in the early-to-mid 2000s, including a runner-up finish in 2004. He stepped away from coaching after the 2018-19 season and retired from his job as physical education teacher in South Kitsap School District in 2021.
Callaghan said his priority at the hall of fame ceremony wasn't speaking about his coaching credentials or past successes.
"Basically I just wanted to thank everybody," he said.
At the top of the list was Callaghan's wife, Denise, who "pretty much single-parented during basketball season" each winter during his career. Denise even chipped in once as an emergency driver when South Kitsap's JV team needed a van driven to Eastern Washington University for camp.
"Somebody got sick or couldn't go," Callaghan said. "What are you doing today, babe?"
Callaghan thanked the assistant coaches who worked with him through the years, gentlemen who handled much of the "dirty work" behind the scenes.
"Those guys, they genuinely cared about the kids and the program," Callaghan said.
Oh yes, the kids. Callaghan didn't forget about the multitude of student-athletes who donned the maroon, gold and white.
"Obviously we had some great, talented players come through the program, believed what we were doing," Callaghan said.
Asked if he could come up with an all-time starting five from his coaching days, Callaghan ran through some names off the top of his head, starting with point guards (current South Kitsap head coach Brian Cox, his son Ryley, Tippy Burk); wings (Derrick Webb, LP Neloms, Jamil Moore); and post players (Jake Beitinger, Adam Bennett, Buck Savage, Beau Pilon, Josh Monagle.
"That would be impossible to narrow it down," Callaghan said diplomatically.
Callaghan picked a short-list of opposing head coaches in the old Narrows League and current South Puget Sound League he enjoyed matching wits against, including Tim Kelly (Curtis, Lincoln), Pat Mullen (Bethel, Emerald Ridge) and Lyle McIntosh (Gig Harbor).
"All the coaches in both of those leagues were just good dudes," he said. "Good guys, in it for all the right reasons."
Callaghan hasn't completely quit coaching altogether. He served as Ryley's assistant at OC last winter and plans to help Kelsey during Olympic's upcoming season.
Being the guy in the background is the right spot now for Callaghan, but he'll never forget his Hall of Fame-worthy career in Port Orchard.
"That was my dream job," Callaghan said. "I loved it."
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: South Kitsap's Callaghan enters WIBCA Hall of Fame
