Medical Lake announces football, basketball hires

Medical Lake High School has made hiring decisions for two major sports, selecting Mo Owen, formerly a Lakeside High School assistant to be new head football coach and Noel Hachtel, the C-squad coach the previous two seasons as the new boys' head varsity basketball coach.

Owen replaces Wes Hobbs, who, after eight years on the job, announced his retirement earlier as Cardinal football coach. Hachtel replaces Arnold Brown whose contract was not renewed.

"His dream has always been to be a head coach," Chris Spring, ML's current athletics director and soon to be principal said. "He didn't see that happening at Lakeside where Brian Dunn has been on the job forever. Mo just kind of surfaced unexpectedly."

Among three finalists for the basketball opening, Spring said they decided to stay in-house with Hachtel. "He has just a diehard work ethic," Spring said of Hachtel, who is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force and stationed until October in Afghanistan.

Probably on a scale of 1-10 in relationships with kids, I would give him a 10," Spring said. "He's just a guy who brought a lot to the table."

Owen, from Dayton, Wash. originally is a graduate of Eastern Washington University. He was an assistant at EWU in 1996-1997 under Paul Wulff and Jerry Greybeal. Since then the married father of three has taught and coached 20 years in Auburn, Shadle Park and Lakeside. 

"We found out he was a fabulous teacher and that was the number one thing for us," Spring said. "Not very often do you find a high-level history teacher that is a football coach."

Also one of three candidates for the job, "He just had all the intangibles, energy, relationships, knowledge," Spring said of Owen.

A Long Beach, Calif. native, Hachtel played high school basketball at Millikan and Lakewood.  "I attended and played for Alameda College in Oakland for one season and Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, prior to joining the military 17 years ago," Hachtel wrote in an email from his duty station 12 hours away.  

Hachtel plans to retire from the service after 20 years and the couple has already bought a home in Medical Lake, Spring said.

Prior to his service commitment, Hachtel, married with two children, was the varsity boys' coach at a Christian school in Long Beach, Calif. for two seasons where he compiled a 51-11 record, two league championships and two Southern Region semifinal appearances.

"What I'm excited about with Noel is I've never hired a coach in my 10 years when we delivered the message who had the level of excitement in his voice," Spring said.

Another applicant, Brett Ward, was hired to fill one of Spring's teaching openings and will help with summer programs and bridge the gap while Hachtel is away.

"Noel is finding every loophole to try to get on a flight stateside," Spring said. Hachtel volunteered for his tour in Afghanistan, not knowing the coaching job would open.

He interviewed via a video feed that lost its signal twice, Spring said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.