Oak Harbor football coach Marcus Hughes was named District 1 Coach of the Year by the Washington State Football Coaches Association.

Hughes cited the efforts of the students and his coaching staff for the award.

“We had a really good group of kids who bought in and were dedicated,” he said. “I always looked at it as a team award.”

He will be recognized Feb. 21 during the Football Coaches Association clinic in Renton.

Hughes was voted Coach of the Year by the 45 football coaches at high schools from Snohomish County north to the Canadian border and San Juan Island County, said Shane Keck, district one representative for theFfootball Coaches Association and the head coach at Glacier Peak in Snohomish.

The Wildcats finished their recent season with an overall record of 7-3 with first place in the Wesco North. Oak Harbor was picked to finish second-to-last, Hughes said. The team was eliminated from playoff contention in the 32-team, week 10 seeding round for the state tournament. In 2023, Oak Harbor finished with a 4-6 record and placed fifth in the Wesco North.

“Everybody saw the progress they made over the past several years,” Keck said, adding that Oak Harbor had quality wins last season. “He’s really built the program. I think everybody respected the way he did it.”

Hughes came to Oak Harbor in 2019 after coaching football at community colleges and high schools in California and New York.

Oak Harbor had an experienced team last season with 20 seniors on the team. The Wildcats will have a lot of young students next season, but Hughes said they are committed.

“It’s exciting to see when they see what happens when you work,” Hughes said. “The goal is to give kids a chance to where they have bought in and be successful on the field and off the field.”