Jim Hosek, Coupeville High School’s most successful baseball coach.
Wolf Nation lost a diamond legend late last year.
Jim Hosek, who passed away at age 76 on Oct. 30, 2023, was the most successful baseball coach in Coupeville High School history.
During his six years in charge of the Wolf hardball program from 1973-1978, he led his teams to 103 wins, five straight league titles and four district crowns.
Hosek’s crew advanced to the state tournament four times during that run, with the ’77 team becoming the first CHS baseball squad to win a game at the big dance.
Those Wolves bopped Kittitas 14-0.
Coupeville was primed to keep the surge going, only to lose Hosek thanks to a questionable at best decision by the school board of the time.
After stepping down as a teacher to run the family’s novelty business, he offered to remain as Wolf baseball coach.
Instead, the board insisted it wanted a teacher as coach, and Hosek moved on to take over the Skagit Valley College baseball program.
To no one’s surprise, he was equally as successful at the college level as he had been leading high school teams.
Along with collecting a string of wins and titles, Hosek was unique in making sure all of his team’s uniforms had a one somewhere in the jersey number.
That was to reinforce the mandate that he and his team always view themselves as #1.
While I’m too young to have written about Hosek during his CHS days, I came to know him as a faithful customer at Videoville, and, before that, as dad to Mika, one of the first Wolf stars I covered during my stint at the Whidbey News-Times.
Later, with the blog, I spoke to many of his former players, from Bill Jarrell to Keith Jameson, and beyond, and they all praised their former diamond skipper.
He had an admirable baseball career, helped put Coupeville High School sports on the map, and always came across as a genuinely nice guy.
Inducting Hosek into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame in 2016 was an incredibly easy decision. He more than earned that spot.
As we approach another windswept spring on the prairie, the next time you head out to the CHS baseball diamond, take a moment and tip one out for a hardball legend.
Coupeville Sports 
Hello David-thanks for writing and sending this out.
Jim and also his wife, Linda had a huge impact on many students in the time they were both teaching, coaching and mentoring many of us in the 1970 and early 80s. Both coached more than one sport and classes too. Jim coached football in the 70s for many years. Linda coached dance/drill and physical education classes and girls sports.
They also took a home (on the property next to the hospital, named it “Our House” and made it a place for youth to hang out together for a number of years.
Both taught us about life, how to build community, and were very dedicated to seeing their students grow and succeed. I am thankful both were my teachers and friends.
I have thought of them often and send love and condolences to Linda, Tisha, Mika and families.
In gratitude-Leslie Franzen
CHS Class of 1974