Blake Colston
Sports Editor
EDMOND – Former Okarche boys basketball coach Ray West joined an exclusive club Saturday.
West was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Eddie’s Grill in Edmond.
West’s son, Aaron, accepted the award on behalf of his late father.
“It is a tremendous honor for my father and family,” Aaron West said. “I know my dad would be very humbled by the honor. He never considered himself a hall-of-famer and never once brought it up, even though we all felt different about it for him.”
West spent 25 years at Okarche where he compiled a 554-182 record with 11 state tournaments and two state title games appearances.
Overall, West totaled 853 wins, good for second all-time in Oklahoma high school boys basketball history.
In 2012, The National High School Athletic Coaches Association named West their Coach of the Year.
West also coached at Fort Supply (1974- 76), Gould (1976-77), Purcell (1977-78), Mountain View (1978-81), Mustang (1981-82) and Cordell (1982-94).
Joining West as inductees this year were Larry Callison (Ketchum), Dan Hays (Oklahoma Christian University), David Page (Pawnee) and Bob Weckstein (Frontier).
West will also be inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Tulsa in July.
