Grays Harbor College (NWAC) has named Blake Cleveringa as their new head men’s basketball coach. Here’s the official release from GHC:
We are extremely excited to introduce our newly hired Men’s Basketball Coach, Blake Cleveringa! Blake has had a very successful coaching career, which most recently saw him as an assistant coach at Central Washington University.
Coach Cleveringa is a graduate from Lehi High School in Utah, where he was honored with Player of the Year his senior year averaging 22 PPG for the Pioneers. He then played his college ball at Yakima Valley College, graduating from there in 2015. After, he was able to obtain his Bachelors in Social Sciences with a minor in Sport Business from Central Washington University, and continued on to achieve his MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management from Seattle University. While working towards his Masters, he helped coach at West Seattle HS and was involved as a GA for the athletic department at Seattle University. Then started his head coaching tenure at Lincoln-Seattle HS from 2019-2022.
In the process it became very apparent to us that Coach Cleveringa was a phenomenal fit for our program. He exuded passion for developing his players both on and off the court, and really embracing the process that comes at the Community College level. When asked what excited him the most about this job, Cleveringa responded: “The opportunity to be able to make an impact on the lives of student-athletes and the opportunity to develop a winning culture”. He also has some ties to the community already, as his family had lived in Montesano for an extended period, and even has a brother (Chase) who played baseball at GHC and graduated here. Those things, combined with his excellent experience in coaching and recruiting, helped Blake stand out as a fantastic hire for us!
Blake has had fantastic learning experiences, and it shows in the appreciation that he has for everywhere he has been and who he has worked with. “There’s too many people to shout out as I’ve had a really good circle of mentors and a support system throughout my basketball journey. Much respect to Coach Rinta and thanks to everyone at Central Washington University for my time working with you. Thank you to all on GHC staff during the hiring process for believing in me. To every player that I’ve coached, I appreciate you! Our time together will always be cherished. Lastly, massive props to my wife for her continued and phenomenal support.”
Coach Cleveringa will start immediately, with the 2023-24 season being his first at the helm of the GHC Men’s Basketball program. We are excited for the direction our program is going, and looking forward to what successes Blake can bring us on and off the court. “I’m genuinely thrilled to be able to coach at Grays Harbor College. Juco hoops are near and dear to my heart. I’m so excited to find student-athletes who can call GHC home and flourish in their academic and athletic careers” says Cleveringa.
