High school gym could soon be named for this Pasco, Michigan State legacy
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- Pasco community group formally requests naming the high school gym after Don Monson.
- Monson coached Bulldogs from 1967–1976, going 161-65 with 1970 and 1971 title appearances.
- Naming committee will convene in the fall, and could be finished by Jan. 1, 2027
Pasco High School’s gymnasium could soon be named after Don Monson, the beloved Bulldogs and college basketball coach who died last year at age 92.
The request was formally made in May to Pasco Superintendent Michelle Whitney through a letter drafted by a community group. The Pasco High School gymnasium does not currently have a formal name.
The “Monson Project Committee” described him as “instrumental in creating the meaning of ‘Pasco Pride,’” and someone who “emphasized what an honor it was to wear the Bulldog purple and white.”
His reach impacted generations of Tri-City players, athletes and youth, and he served as a community link far after his retirement, said the letter.
“... Coach Monson was unwaveringly committed to his players that they develop the following important life skills: Integrity, self-discipline, respect, compassion, teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and perseverance,” the committee wrote.
“He was tirelessly in service to those he touched as a coach, counselor or mentor. More important than teaching student athletes to play basketball, Coach Monson focused on teaching his players to become better people.”
The committee includes Pasco graduates, as well as former and current staff who knew Monson, including Nina Smith Dillon, Rayford Guice, Tamra Ochoa, Daniel Rodriguez and Mike Guajardo.
Monson got his start coaching at Cheney High School, but found himself coaching in Pasco from 1967 to 1976, where he notched an impressive 161-65 record and back-to-back Washington state title game appearances in ‘70 and ‘71. As he coached, he also worked as an educator, counselor and administrator.
He went on to coach at Michigan State University — playing a key role in recruiting Earvin “Magic” Johnson — and also found coaching success by building winning programs at University of Idaho and the University of Oregon. His final college coaching record was 216-186.
The committee says in their letter that while Monson saw greater fame and larger spotlights coaching college ball, he frequently spoke of his tenure leading the Bulldogs as “one of the most rewarding periods of his professional career.”
“Coach Monson was the recipient of multiple state, regional and national coaching awards,” the committee wrote. “Yet, according to a student trainer turned lifelong friend, ‘Of all the accolades that Coach Monson has received, I cannot think of one that would honor him more than naming the PHS gym after him.’”
A Preacher of ‘Pasco Pride’
Many on the Monson committee spoke highly of the late coach at a recent Pasco School Board meeting.
Mike Guajardo, a 1969 Pasco High grad who played under Monson and later coached the Bulldogs for about two decades, said he started “from scratch” when he arrived at Pasco.
Monson’s arrival in the late ‘60s also coincided with racial tensions in the Tri-Cities and across the nation. At that time, Pasco High was the only racially diverse school in the region, said Guajardo. Monson embraced that diversity.
“It created more unity amongst the students. We felt better about ourselves. We were adamant that we could do things, and we did,” said Guajardo, who characterized his coach as a “great leader” whose legacy is still followed today.
Anne Hayden Ray, Pasco High’s athletic director 1982-1999, said Monson stayed connected to the community long after he left.
He was a longtime sponsor of the annual Pasco Invitational Track and Field meet, co-sponsored the Don Monson Invitational Golf Tournament to raise thousands for Pasco School District athletics, and lead and facilitated youth basketball clinics.
“I believe it’s impossible for Pasco to ever have another basketball coach who achieves the level of community spirit and support that was generated in the months and years when we were a single-high school community,” Hayden Ray said.
Bulldogs coach Daniel Rodriguez said he came upon Monson’s legacy while researching the philosophies, drills and techniques of local programs. Both he and his sons’ names came up. Son Dan Monson is currently the head coach at Eastern Washington University.
Rodriguez said Monson directly influenced many who have been named to Pasco’s Hall of Fame.
“Like many of you, and others in the community, I had no idea who Don Monson was until I did my research,” he said.
“As years go bye, many iconic names in our community go unmentioned and, with time, they become fainter and even forgotten... ‘Pasco Pride’ was preached by coach Monson. Regardless of who you were, or what side of the town you came from, he looked to break barriers so that all students felt like they belonged,” Rodriguez continued.
Community member Donald Bell Sr. has lived all across the U.S. and said that many “take for granted” the virtues and special connection of the Pasco community. He played for Monson the final year he coach in Pasco, and credits his leadership for him being able to give back to the community.
District process for naming facilities
The authority to formally name new and existing non-school facilities lies with the Pasco School Board based on established policy.
Facilities may be named after deceased individuals who have attained national or local prominence in the fields of education, arts, sciences, military, statesmanship or community service. The board does not name facilities after living persons, unless under unique circumstances that may require an exception.
Requests must be submitted to the superintendent’s office in writing. The superintendent then convenes a committee to review the request and to recommend to the board whether the request should be approved using a suggested set of criteria.
After evaluating the request, the superintendent’s committee may approve the request recommendation to the board, deny it, or acknowledge and honor the individual in another manner, such as with a plaque or award.
Whitney said the Monson naming committee — open to stakeholders, community members and staff — will convene in the fall. The district also will engage the Superintendent Student Action Council, Pasco School District Ambassadors program and the Superintendents Employee Advisory Council through surveys and focus groups.
The process could be completed as early as Jan. 1 and recommendation could come back to the school board around that time.
The district underwent a similar process when it named its new N. Stearman Avenue bus facility the Richard L. Lenhart Transportation Center.
Dick Lenhart, 72, a district bus driver, was stabbed and killed in a 2021 attack outside Longfellow Elementary School. He had just picked up students after the school day when Joshua Davis boarded the bus, asking for a ride.
After years of evaluations and hearings on Davis’ mental state, a jury found him guilty of murder last year, and his sentencing is set for later this month.
