By Rayjaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Now in his fifth year as the head football coach at West Seattle High School, Jeff Scott is continuing to build a competitive and well-respected football program in the state’s strongest conference – Seattle’s Metro League. Scott, a coach for over 30 years and counting, made pit stops at Kent Meridian and as a defensive coordinator at Garfield before taking over as West Seattle’s head coach. With a sophomore quarterback leading his offense during his first season at West Seattle, Scott welcomed his new team with open arms and hit the ground running, taking a team that finished with an 0-8 record prior to his arrival to a division championship in just four years.
Before he was called coach, Scott, the native of the small country town of Hinesville, Georgia, was a three-time football letterman at running back. Having a successful high school career, Scott visited colleges but unfortunately an injury during his senior year hindered him from getting a football scholarship, and ultimately led him to join the military.
During his 10-year military career, Scott learned many of the leadership traits that molded him into the coach that he is today. In 1992, Scott’s coaching journey began as a youth football coach on Fort Lewis as he applied many of the lessons he learned in the military to his coaching style – discipline, teamwork and trust.
Prior to Scott’s arrival, West Seattle would go 0-8 and score double-digit points in just four out of their eight regular season games. During the 2018-19 season with Scott at the helm, West Seattle fielded only 17 players and finished fourth in the Metro League’s Valley division with an overall record of 3-7. On the bright side, in the three games that they won, West Seattle scored 30 points or more, and scored double digit points in all 10 games they played. Although they finished the season with a losing record, people were already taking notice of the changes taken place within the West Seattle program. The Wildcats would go 3-7 for the second straight season in 2019, scoring 30 points or higher in all their wins again, scoring seven points or less in four losses, and score double-digits in three other losses.
Now making headway and finishing in the top 5 of their division for the second straight season, COVID-19 cut their 2020-21 season short. Only playing four games that season, the Wildcats went 3-1 and claimed the Valley Division title. In their three wins West Seattle won by 39, 26, and 24 points.
Although he gets the credit as the head coach for turning the program around, Scott says that “having great [assistant] coaches that love our players, [and who believe] in the vision of what we’re doing for our young men on and off the field” has been the keys to the success of the program.
Building off three years of momentum, Scott led his team to a three-game winning streak to kick off the 2021-22 season by scoring 30 plus points and allowing under seven points to opponents during that time span. The quick start fueled the Wildcats to arguably their best season at 6-3 under Scott’s leadership.
“The program’s turnaround over the course of Coach Scott’s tenure is apparent and the standard has changed,” said West Seattle quarterback Axel Johnson. “We compete every year with the attitude that we can make noise in the Metro League.”
West Seattle linebacker and running back Mason Kallinger agrees and says that Scott is a great team motivator.
“This program was rebuilt by him and the player-led leadership that he preaches,” said Kallinger. “He’s the most passionate coach that I know, everyday he shows up urging us to play to our absolute ceiling by asserting unto us that all-in mindset.”
With a program that now boasts 90 players, Scott has rebuilt and revitalized West Seattle’s football program and their fan base. Despite a loss to their crosstown rivals, Chief Sealth, last week, the Wildcats are 3-1 with a culture that has them headed in the right direction.
When asked about what it will take to continuously rebuild the program, Scott expressed, “outreaching into the West Seattle community by doing youth football events and supporting what’s going on. Having a great athletic director and principal that believe in me and give me the support that I need to help continue to develop this program.”
