WHS Girls Basketball Coach Doug Light Named Ryan Shaw National High School Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year
Washington High School girls basketball coach Doug Light has been named the 2021 Ryan Shaw National High School Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in Missouri.
Since 2011, the National High School Basketball Coaches Association honors coaches for service to their state and efforts toward upholding the MBCA (Missouri Basketball Coaches Association) mission, "to promote basketball in Missouri.” In 2017, the award was renamed to honor longtime MBCA board member Ryan Shaw.
Light will be recognized as part of the MBCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony on October 23 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Springfield. Light will receive a ring for receiving the award.
During his head coaching girls basketball career covering 37 years at Washington, Union, Borgia, Parkway South, Jefferson City and Helias, Light has reached the Final Four four times with two third-place finishes. His teams have won 11 district championships and have reached the state quarterfinals seven times. He lost in the state quarterfinals twice to the eventual state champion.
Light has also served as athletic director at Borgia, Parkway South and Helias. He’s been in education and coaching for 45 years.
Light was inducted to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2011. He has been with the Washington High School girls basketball program for six years, including the last four years as the head coach. He currently has 599 career wins as a head coach.
Doug Light - 2021 Ryan Shaw National High School Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year