PORT ANGELES — Lee Sinnes devoted almost his entire life to basketball.
Now, after more than 40 years coaching the game, the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association will induct him into its Hall of Fame.
The former Port Angeles High School player and coach is one of six coaches who will be officially inducted at the banquet this July, the association announced Wednesday.
“I’m kind of overwhelmed,” said Sinnes, who was 279-238 in 24 seasons as a varsity head coach. “I knew I had been nominated last spring, but you never know down the road.
“When they called me Monday morning, I was kind of numb.”
Hall of Fame inductions are nothing new for Sinnes, a former all-state center for the Roughrider boys team back in 1966.
The 63-year-old was added to the Pacific Lutheran University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
He was the seventh player in school history to score more than 1,000 points, and he currently ranks 13th on the Lutes’ all-time scoring list at 1,307.
After his playing career ended, he had head coaching stints at Yelm (four years) and Mark Morris (two years) before eventually landing back in his home town at Port Angeles High School.
Sinnes led the Riders boys program for 18 seasons with terms from 1976 through 1981 and 1991 through 2004.
He won four league titles during that time at Port Angeles and one West Central District championship.
His teams made it to districts nine times and state once, placing seventh in 1997.
He also spent 13 seasons as a varsity assistant coach, most recently as an assistant to Rider girls coach Mike Knowles during the past three league championship seasons.
“I think this one I’m receiving [is more special than the PLU induction] because it spans 40 years-plus of coaching,” Sinnes said.
“There’s not many of us around anymore who stay in the game to coach that many years. I took some time off during that time, but coming back to do something you love, it’s something that’s in your blood.
“I was at three schools, had great kids at all three of them and many rewarding moments.”
Sinnes took five teams to the state tournament as a head coach.
His best finish was a runner-up showing by Mark Morris in the Class AA tournament in 1975.
Oddly enough, the ’66 team he starred on as a senior at Port Angeles was also a state runner up.
Sinnes’ regular season record as a head coach was 260-219 with seven league championships, 17 top four finishes in league and 14 district appearances.
He was named league coach of the year eight times, Washington AAA coach of the year once (1995) and Seattle Times coach of the year once (1997).
An announcement on the time and location of the July induction ceremony will be made sometime in the spring.
“It’s neat,” Sinnes said.
“I’ve gotten emails and Facebook comments from kids and ex-players from all three places.”
