Snohomish Girls Basketball Coach Ken Roberts describes a play to his team during the Feb. 18, 2025 game against Shorecrest.
Photo by Jon Brennan
SNOHOMISH — Longtime Snohomish girl’s basketball coach Ken Roberts will be inducted into the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association next month.
Roberts is being inducted as one of five coaches at the association’s annual ceremony April 25.
He’s been involved at Snohomish High School for most of his life. His dad, Russ, coached for 30 years in Snohomish schools. Robert graduated as a Snohomish High Panther and has coached the girl’s basketball team for 25 years.
He noted that five members of the boy’s basketball team he played on when he was in high school went on to become coaches and teachers.
“To have half your team go into education was a testament to the athletics and education at Snohomish,” Roberts said.
He himself has been teaching P.E. and health for 12 years, and taught history for 22 before that.
He said he’s seen former players go on to become coaches and he’s enjoyed seeing the successes his players attained outside of basketball.
“They’re basketball players for a short time, they’re people for the rest of their lives,” Roberts said.
Maya DuChesne played for Roberts before graduating in 2019. She played for Roberts from when she was a seventh grader in the summer league and then playing through four years of high school. As a freshman, she was on the squad that placed second at the state tournament.
“He was speaking positive words to me and that is everything you want in a coach,” DuChesne said.
After attending and working at Northwest University in Kirkland, she entered coaching in September. DuChesne is an assistant girl’s basketball coach at Biola University in California.
She recalled Roberts’ influence.
“He just taught me so much about the strategy of the game,” DuChesne said. He also talked about the importance of earning the trust and respect of players. “If you don’t first trust your players, how are they going to trust you?”
Glacier Peak girls basketball coach Brian Hill was an assistant under Roberts for Snohomish from 2005-2008 before Glacier Peak opened in 2008.
“I just started trying to watch and learn and ask questions along the way,” Hill said. The Grizzlies enjoyed a successful season, placing fifth at the 4A state tournament.
Roberts’ team has been a fixture at state tournaments over the years. The Panthers placed second in 2005, 2009, and 2015, placed third in 2016 and fourth in 2019 and 2022. Last season marked the team’s 400th win under his coaching, placing him among the top 15 winningest girls basketball coaches ever in the state.
“He does a good job getting his kids playing at a high level toward the end of the season,” Hill said. Both Hill and DuChesne noted Roberts is a defense-minded coach.
During her senior year of high school, DuChesne decided to play on the girl’s golf team, which Roberts also coached at the time. She competed in the district tournament where she placed second.
Considering the excellence in not one but two sports, “it’s a great testament to see how great of a coach he is,” DuChesne said.
Coach Ken Roberts during the Feb. 18, 2025 game against Shorecrest.
