Jeremy Bahr selected to help turn around Cards' football

It might be said that Jeremy Bahr got a late Christmas present - on Valentine’s Day.

That’s when he learned a long-time wish would be fulfilled when Bahr was selected as the newest person to guide the Medical Lake High School football program. He replaced Mo Owen who resigned the position in November 2017 after two seasons where his teams went a combined 0-18.

But while bursting at the seams with excitement, because school was closed that day due to snow, Bahr could not tell a soul, other than his wife and mother.

“The committee loved the vision and you’re hired, but you can’t tell anybody,” Bahr said.

Bahr, 37, is about as close to a lifelong Medical Lake resident as it gets, attending all 18 years of school there, graduating in 1999 and holding an assistant coach in both football and basketball since 2006.

“There are a lot of challenges ahead, but it’s a job I’ve always coveted,” Bahr said. “As a kid growing up, being a fan of watching my older brothers and neighborhood friends compete, going through the program, I always wanted to be a head coach someday.”

Medical Lake athletics director Justin Blayne echoed Bahr’s excitement, noting, “It’s a coaching position that is truly a dream-come-true for him.” A search committee made up of school personnel and community members interviewed three of 10 applicants for the position.

Bahr put together an extensive proposal that included philosophy on what he would like to do with the high school, middle school and related youth sports programs.

Bahr joked about there being “a lot of plagiarism” derived from people he’s worked with, picking the things he liked from five different head coaches. “I believed in it, my heart was in that packet,” Bahr said.

Getting his start under Rick Olson, Bahr credits him for the opportunity to travel the road he has. “I’m definitely thankful he gave me that job.”

Bahr worked under Olson until he resigned in 2007 and then followed another ML grad, Aaron Carr, to Davenport.

Bahr returned to Medical Lake and joined the staff of Wes Hobbs for a few years and earned a great deal of respect from the coach who guided the Cardinals from 2008–2015, including a pair of playoff appearances.

Bahr followed grade school friend Jim Mace to Shadle Park from 2014-16, calling it, “One of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a football coach and seeing a different program.”

Bahr is a para-educator in the district.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].