Toward the end of the Feb. 3 girls basketball game at White River High, the student section let out with a “seven-hundred, seven-hundred” chant.
The outburst was in anticipation of a postgame ceremony marking one more remarkable achievement in the long and distinguished career of Hornet coach Chris Gibson.
The Tuesday night victory over Federal Way provided Gibson with victory No. 700 as a head coach. The total is a milestone few have reached in the ranks of Washington state prep girls circles.
Perhaps even more notable, Gibson currently has more victories than any active high school coach – boys or girls – in the state.
At the close of the February 3 contest, White River Principal Cody Mothershed strolled onto the court to present Gibson with a ceremonial basketball highlighted with the significant “700.”
The current season marks Gibson’s 37th year as a head coach, with the last 29 at White River. His first eight seasons were spent leading the Franklin Pierce Cardinals. He was hired to guide the Cardinals by Athletic Director Jim Meyerhoff; after Meyerhoff moved to White River he soon had a need for a girls hoop coach and brought Gibson on board.
During his time at Franklin Pierce, Gibson’s teams posted a winning record (104-87), but that cannot compare to the hoops machine he has built at White River. Sitting at 700 career victories with the regular season in the books, Gibson is hoping to pad his total as the Hornets head into postseason play.
Gibson has already been inducted into the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2017) and has been recognized as the Wooden Legacy Coach of the Year by the National High School Basketball Association.
Only four with more: The state’s all-time list of girls hoop coaches is headed by Curt DeHaan, who compiled a 772-149 mark during 38 years at Lynden Christian, Al Smeenk (711-199 during 37 years at Sunnyside Christian) and Al Aldridge (710-134 during 32 years at Prairie High School). All have retired.
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