'Never crossed my mind': Longtime Gonzaga Prep football coach Dave McKenna inducted into state coaches association hall of fame

He, better than most, understands the responsibility and certain type of pressure that comes along with the position. And since he's still in the building every day, he is an invaluable resource to Graham, who has gone 23-2 in his two seasons.

"(Graham) was in the office this morning," McKenna said. "I try to not minimize it, but at the same time try to keep it in perspective. It's high school football. It's very important, but the role can be defined in so many different ways, and the way I wanted to define it is that I wanted to have a transformative relationship with my players where it's not just about winning.

"Winning can be a byproduct of the things that we do. But I really focused on that, and it takes the whole community to do that. It can't be just one person — your assistant coaches have to buy into that, the parents buy into it. There was an ongoing struggle, but there was a lot of growth that took place because our culture doesn't emulate that. ... Players today are encouraged to be selfish, I guess is the right word to say it. So that was really hard for me, because the way we did things was very team-oriented. And that was key."

There's no arguing the success around the program, whether that's measured in wins or individual successes. But for McKenna, it always comes back to the person, rather than the football player.

"Those guys, they graduated from Gonzaga Prep and went on, did great things in football, at the universities they went to or ultimately, the NFL. But I hope that our impact was on the internal being. The hard work, how it's gonna pay off not just in football, but in life. Can I be a good father, a good husband, just a good human being, care for the people around you? And hopefully that's what they took from it, as well as some development in football, but more importantly, the development as a human being."

McKenna got into coaching because he loves the game. But he found out something more about himself along the way.

"I love building relationships with people. I like being around people," he said. "I came from a very large family and I kind of embrace chaos to some extent. I like that. So I never thought that an honor like this would ever be something I'd really try to achieve. It just never crossed my mind. It was the day-to-day."

McKenna's biggest challenge wasn't on the field of play.

"How do we take this young man or young lady, at Gonzaga Prep, and they're not doing the right thing? How do we get them to do the right thing? That was a beautiful challenge every day. And in football, it was, how do we get them to play as a team? How to be unselfish and recognize that they're a part of something much greater than themselves?"

Now that he's had time to reflect, the honor he'll receive on Sunday takes on a multitude of meanings.

"I mean, it really is real, and it's ... special," he said, almost sheepishly. "I want to embrace it, but at the same time, I remind myself that I'm not alone. I've had so many people help on that road, especially my wife, April, who I can't mention enough, and my children, who had to — they had to bear witness to some of the best days and some of the most challenging days. So family, that's how you get it.

"And then the coaches, the players. I was just telling someone, it's not about the Xs and Os, it's about the Jimmys and the Joes. It's about your players and then the guys you coach with. The best coaches out there surround themselves with really good people. And so then that honor is out there, but it's also a collective honor, and that's how I look at it. But it is an honor. I'm very humbled by it."

McKenna is still involved in coaching high school athletes, though, as head coach of the girls golf team — which finished second at districts by one stroke on Wednesday, qualifying as a team for state next week. He says he misses "parts" of coaching football.

"I miss the kids. I see the kids in the hallway, I don't know them as well. They don't know me as well. That's what I miss," he said. "I still go watch the games. I still get butterflies. I still have that, like, 'Alright, it's Friday Night Lights. This is really cool.' And I am glad I still have that, and I'll probably always have that, because I love this institution and the coaches that I coached with that are still coaching. So, that's special.

"I miss practices. I don't miss games as much. I miss (practice) because that's where you get to know the kids. They had a tough day in school, and how do you work through that? Or they had an awesome game Friday night. Now it's Tuesday. We've got to grind again. I miss that challenge, but I don't miss the games. I don't miss the stress that was put on me — self imposed, I'll be honest. But I miss the practices."

In the not-too-distant future, there won't be any more active players or students who remember McKenna firsthand roaming the football sidelines. But inside the halls of Gonzaga Prep, he'll always be "Coach."

"It's a huge honor when kids call me that. They still call me that, and I don't take it for granted," he said. "I never have, because in my experience, I've been around some really, really, really, really good coaches, and then some that weren't so good. And I would call them 'Coach' for a reason — or not.

"Next to husband and father and grandpa, I mean, it's right there — being called 'Coach.' I love being called dad, I do. And grandpa. And whatever my wife might call me some days. But then 'Coach' is right there. I mean, it really is. It's an honor."