Tom Campbell
Cross Country Coach
Tom Campbell was one of the most successful and respected cross country coaches in Washington state. He was a leader and an innovator in cross country and had unparalleled success as his boys and girls teams at Edmonds and Edmonds-Woodway high schools won 12 WIAA State Championships (7 boys and 5 girls). Beginning in 1975 with a boys championship, Edmonds HS followed with boys titles in 1982, 83, 86, 87, 88, and at Edmonds-Woodway in 1990. The Edmonds girls teams won state championships in 1976, 83, 84, 85, and 87. His teams also finished in the top four at the state meet eight other times. Tom holds the distinction of being the only coach to win state championships at the four state meet sites – Evergreen High School, Hangman Valley GC, Port Townsend, and Pasco. Tom always ran with his runners. He never asked a runner to do anything he wouldn’t do. Coaching for him meant running with them.
Tom has received a number of awards as a result of his coaching. He was named the Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1983 (only one coach recognized) and again in 1984 as the Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame (HOF) in 1994 and was honored as Herald Man of the Year in Sports. In 2004, he was inducted into the WIAA HOF as a member of its inaugural class. Tom further served cross country by helping to create the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association and served as its president for 12 years.