Glacier Peak names new boys soccer coach

Published 10:39 pm Saturday, October 2, 2010

Shannon Murray knows all about the outstanding soccer legacy in Snohomish, and he plans to add to it.

Murray was named head coach of the Glacier Peak High School boys soccer team on Thursday. The 38-year-old Snohomish resident previously assisted coach Dan Pingrey at Snohomish High and also coached Snohomish United and Evergreen Soccer Club select teams.

Murray replaces Daghan Kesim, who coached Glacier Peak in its inaugural season and resigned in July.

Class 3A Glacier Peak, which did not have seniors last school year, has many promising returning athletes, said Murray. Plagued by injuries, the Grizzlies went 1-5-3 and ranked eighth in the 4A/3A 10-team Western Conference South Division last spring.

“There’s good soccer players, as per the old tradition of Snohomish High School. I think Glacier Peak’s got that potential as well,” said Murray, who was an assistant three seasons at Snohomish High: 2003, when the Panthers were the Class 4A state runnerup; 2004, when they placed third; and 2009.

Although he hasn’t officially met Glacier Peak players, Murray knows many of them from the select scene. Murray is also familiar with several of the area’s other prep coaches, in addition to Pingrey.

Murray, an insurance agent, graduated from Marysville-Pilchuck High in 1989. As a midfielder he played soccer for M-P, the University of Washington (1989-1992) and two professional teams: the Seattle Sounders and the Seattle SeaDogs.

Playing and coaching so long in the Puget Sound region helped prepare Murray for the Glacier Peak gig, Murray said. He looks forward to leading the Grizzlies’ relatively new program.

“Having seniors is going to be a huge deal for these kids,” Murray said. “That and also building their own identity as a school is something that we look forward to as well.”