Should ballfield be renamed for Hall of Fame coach? Richland rules don’t allow it
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- A group of Richland alumni is seeking to rename Bomber Baseball Field for Ben Jacobs.
- Policy limits naming to deceased persons who achieved local or national stature.
- Supporters propose signage, a stainless steel plaque, and no taxpayer cost for changes.
A group of Richland High School alumni is seeking to rename Bomber Baseball Field after one of Washington’s most successful baseball coaches.
Ben Jacobs led the Richland Bombers for 24 seasons — nabbing four baseball state championships and 10 semifinal appearances over a 433-155 record — before his retirement in 2012.
The Washington Hall of Fame coach, now 74, still lives in the area with his family.
There’s just one issue with the proposal: Richland School Board policy generally limits the naming of public facilities to “deceased persons who have achieved local or national stature.”
The group of mostly 1969 and 1980 graduates says they “respect the intentions behind this guidance,” but believe it should be revised “with understanding and flexibility.”
“We believe there is extraordinary value in honoring exceptional coaches like Ben Jacobs while they are still with us, so they can personally experience the community’s appreciation of their legacy,” the group wrote in a June 9 letter to the school board and Superintendent Shelley Redinger.
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Across the river, a similar process is taking place at Pasco High School, where a group of graduates and staff are trying to name the gymnasium after Don Monson, the legendary Bulldogs basketball coach who served 1967-1976.
Monson’s death late last year at 92 reverberated across the Pacific Northwest, as those who knew him recounted his impact to athletes, communities and programs.
Reached by phone Tuesday, Jacobs said he didn’t spend 38 years coaching sports — including some football and wrestling — for the accolades or recognitions. It’s really always been about the kids.
“I think you’re into it just to make your players better – better players and better people. And that’s what I always believed, and I believed I achieved that,” said Jacobs, a 1969 Richland High grad.
“For me, it was all about teaching hard work, sacrifice, respect, commitment and playing as a team, and I think those are great attributes to have on and off the field. That’s pretty much what we preached,” he continued.
Jacobs said he didn’t have much of a reaction after hearing the community brought a proposal forward to rename the facility “Jacobs Field.”
“It’s not my deal, let’s put it that way,” he said.
As a coach, Jacobs just liked to win and do things “the right way” — he left the ego at home. He says he appreciates the group’s ongoing effort.
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‘Welcome to Jacobs Field’?
In addition to the name, the group has also proposed installing a stainless steel plaque near the field with Jacobs’ coaching accomplishments. They also want to include sign on the dugout facing the parking lot that reads, “Welcome to Jacobs Field.”
The changes would come at no direct cost to the taxpayers or district, the group says.
Roger Chambers played for Jacobs and later coached under him for at least 20 years alongside Tim Ruane. Chambers said Jacobs left his mark on Richland: It transitioned from a basketball town to a baseball town during the span of his career.
The field as it stands owes a lot to Jacobs’ work, too. He led the replacement of outfield fences, rebuilt batting cages and the bullpen, reworked field mounds, equipment sheds and procured the scoreboard that is still used today.
“You don’t coach baseball for the money — it’s for the love of the game, loyalty and community pride,” Chambers wrote. “Ben’s legacy in Richland goes far beyond baseball.”
The group presented a set of five new criteria they believe the district should take into account to honor those “rare individuals who define what a program, a school and community can be.”
Those include a demonstrated track record of professionalism and integrity, dedication that went “above and beyond,” a commitment to sportsmanship, exceptional athletic achievement and a waiting period of at least 10 years after retirement.
Even still, the group says Jacobs’ name deserves to be up there with the likes of legendary Bomber coaches Art Dawald and Fran Rish.
After their comments, Board President Katrina Waters said they couldn’t make a decision on the same day, but would deliberate with district leaders.
School board member Rick Jansons is neighbors with Jacobs.
He said the retired coach often comes out to chat with Jansons’ parents when they’re out on their walks. He called Jacobs a “good man with a big heart.”
‘A new sheriff in town’
Jacobs told the Herald he mostly retired from coaching in 2012 to see his son, Brett Jacobs, play first base for the Washington State Cougars.
The following year, he retired from his job counseling at Richland High School. During his 41-year career at Richland School District, he also taught history and CTE classes.
Jacobs waxed poetic about Monson’s career and how he turned the Bulldogs basketball team into a winning program. He even wrote a letter of recommendation in favor of naming the gymnasium after him.
The 17 years before Monson arrived in Pasco, Richland only tallied four losses to Pasco. After that, it was all domination on the Bulldogs’ part.
“There was a new sheriff in town. That guy was absolutely something else, he turned ‘em around,” Jacobs said. “Pasco wouldn’t be anywhere near where they are without Monson.”
These days, Jacobs said he mostly fills his time watching the grandkids, chatting up family and former players, and watching lots of WSU and local sports.
He was even in attendance when the Bombers capped a perfect basketball season with a championship title at the Tacoma Dome earlier this year.
Even 14 years removed from coaching, he’s still rooting strong for his home team.
This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 11:51 AM.
