King County Council honors Kent School District athletic director Dave Lutes

In honor of Dave Lutes’ retirement from the Kent School District after 42 years of service, Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Reagan Dunn, Dave Upthegrove and Pete Von Reichbauer declared Friday, June 7, 2019, as Dave Lutes Day.

“Those who have known Dave know him to be man with a true heart for the game and the student athletes he served,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn in a county news release. “I’ve appreciated working with him throughout his many years with the Kent School District and I wish him well on his next chapter of life.”

Throughout his career with the Kent School District, Lutes has been a dedicated teacher, assistant principal, and coach, impacting countless student lives along the way. During his time at Kentwood High School, he led a football program that was known to be one of the best in Washington state, with a record of 81-20 in his nine years as coach.

“Our schools and communities are so much better off with dedicated public servants like Dave Lutes,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. “We wish him the best in his retirement and thank him for the legacy he leaves with all the kids he impacted over his 42 years of service in the Kent School District.”

In 1990, he transitioned from coaching to administration, becoming the Kent School District’s second ever director of athletics. He served in this role for 29 years. His final day was Friday.

“I feel strongly that sports are a major part of the education system, and I commend Dave Lutes for committing himself for 42 years to the Kent School district,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. “Sports play a critical role in the development of students, and more often than not the lessons learned on high school fields come back to help us later on in life.”

Prior to his almost three decades as director of athletics, Lutes was a traffic safety instructor and assistant football and basketball coach at Kentridge High School. He went on to become Kentwood’s first athletic director and football coach in 1981.

Throughout his time with the Kent School District, Lutes has received numerous awards and honors for his excellence as a coach and administrator, the most notable being the National Citation Award for Exemplary Service to Athletic Administration.

Lutes, 66, is a 1971 graduate of Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines, where he was a star quarterback. He lettered in 1974 and 1975 at the University of Washington as a defensive back and served one year as a student assistant under head coach Don James.