A Coaching Legend Is Lost—KLOG 100.7 News

(Kelso, WA) — A true Kelso coaching legend has moved on to the ultimate level.

Ed Laulainen passed away on Sunday after receiving recent hospice care.  The star running back at R.A. Long and LCC went on to a Hall of Fame career at Kelso High School and he will always be known as the man who made Kelso a football school and led the Hilanders to their only State championship back in 1983.

Coach Ed’s career numbers are incredible.  He went 179-68-2 as the head coach at Kelso, a winning percentage of nearly 77 percent.  When he retired after the 1995 season, he was still at the top of his game.  Laulainen’s Scotties won 15 of the last 20 games he coached.

Laulainen was a no-nonsense coach who took his role as a leader very seriously.  He expected his team to play by the team rules and instilled the discipline that ultimately would always earn the players respect.  He saw football as a way to mold young men into productive adults and there are hundreds of testimonials that can be found to back that up.  Laulainen always hated the term extra-curricular activities when talking about sports and specifically football.  He saw athletics as an important and vital role at Kelso High School.

Ed’s coaching career has been recognized with inductions into the R.A. Long, Lower Columbia College, Washington Coaches Association and Kelso High School Halls of Fame.  He was bestowed the honor of having the place where much of the success blossomed named in his honor: Ed Laulainen Stadium at Schroeder Field.

As a leader of the Washington State Coaches Association, Laulainen and his wife Beverly worked many years helping to put on events and clinics, well after his retirement as a coach.

Coach Ed is survived by his wife Bev, their daughter Susan and son Ed Junior, as well as many grand kids and cousins.  Not to mention the hundreds of people who had the privilege to coach with him, coach against him, play for him, and cheer for him those many Friday nights over 32 years coaching at Kelso, 25 as the head coach.

Memorial services are pending. Coach Laulainen was 88 years old.