2010 area girls' basketball COY: Bob Kintzel

MOUNT VERNON - This year, Bob Kintzel didn't rush.

A week behind in practice in November, Kintzel didn't try to make it up all at once.

“The last two years, because our kids had (advanced to the state volleyball finals), what I had done was rush too much,” said Kintzel, the girls' basketball coach at Mount Vernon High School.

“This year, I took the approach of taking it a little slower, throw smaller details at them.”

The patience paid off. Oh, did it pay off.

The Mustangs closed with a rush, winning their final 12 games and claiming the Class 2A state championship.

Kintzel has been selected as the Gazette/KCRG coach of the year.

“This kind of (success) is sort of expected in volleyball. In basketball, it's a little unexpected,” said Kintzel, 47, who just completed his third year at Mount Vernon. “There has been a great deal of excitement in our community.

“The kids deserve everything that has happened.”

Mount Vernon finished 25-3, ruling the fourth quarter against Audubon, Roland-Story and Manson-Northwest Webster at state.

The Mustangs were unranked, but beat No. 1 Cascade in the regional final, No. 2 MNW in the state final.

Kintzel's willingness to take advantage of his team's height - he often put three mobile 6-footers on the floor at once - made a difference.

One of them was his daughter, Courtney, a junior. Another was Taylor Dicus, who blossomed and was the captain of the all-tournament team.

Kintzel didn't use a complicated scheme. But it was successful.

“We didn't do as many things this year. But what we did, we did better,” he said. “The kids executed them perfectly at the end.”

A manager for North Cedar Recycling in Stanwood by day, Kintzel has a 60-11 mark in three seasons.