Chelan hires Mike Stevens as new head football coach

CHELAN — Under the glow of Friday night lights, a football program is more than a scoreboard. It is continuity, expectation, and the quiet work of shaping young people into something steadier than they were before.

Chelan High School is turning that responsibility over to a new voice this fall, naming Mike Stevens as the new head football coach of the Goats. The hire brings in a veteran coach and educator whose career has been built not just on defensive schemes, but on relationships with players, programs, and the communities around them.

Stevens arrives from the Yakima Valley, where he has been teaching and coaching since 2008. His path has included stops at East Valley High School and La Salle High School, where he worked primarily on the defensive side of the ball before stepping into leadership as associate head coach from 2019 to 2023. At La Salle, he called the defense, and more recently, back at East Valley, he helped guide the Red Devils to a 2A Final Four appearance.

Chelan Athletic Director Evan Reister said Stevens brings both experience and a clear focus on student development.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Stevens to Chelan,” Reister said. “He brings tremendous knowledge of football, a strong commitment to education, and a genuine passion for developing young people.”

That emphasis extends beyond the high school level. Stevens spent six years running a Grid Kid youth program, helping develop younger athletes while strengthening the connection between youth and high school football. In a town like Chelan, where programs are built as much on community investment as wins and losses, that kind of continuity matters.

Stevens said he sees that foundation already in place and believes the program is positioned to grow.

“I am extremely excited and blessed to serve as the new Head Football Coach at Chelan High School,” he said. “I look forward to working with the great student-athletes, staff, administration, and community of Chelan. I believe all of the components are here to build something really special.”

He takes over the program with an emphasis on the department’s core values: being motivated, open minded, respectful, and engaged, a framework that will shape both the culture of the team and its expectations moving forward.

The results will come later. For now, the focus is on the work ahead, as a new coach steps into the role and a program begins its next chapter.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media