The Heart Behind The Honors: Celebrating Umpqua Valley Christian’s Coaches

A volleyball season that began without enough players to field a team ended with a Coach of the Year honor. A soccer roster of just 12 players reached the state playoffs. On the basketball court and the softball and baseball fields, three more coaches earned recognition from their leagues.

At Umpqua Valley Christian School (UVC), there is plenty to celebrate in 2026.

Behind those accomplishments are five coaches investing their time, patience and energy in young athletes. Their work includes the practices and games that families watch, along with the encouragement, difficult conversations and steady instruction that often happen out of sight.

Brian Ferguson, Greg Stiles, Abby Parker, Michael Graham and Dave York have each given the school a reason to be proud.

Brian Ferguson: Boys Basketball Coach Of The Year

Brian Ferguson earned league Coach of the Year honors in boys basketball in 2026, recognizing his leadership of UVC’s program.

Coaching basketball requires decisions throughout a game, but much of the teaching happens before tipoff. Practices give athletes opportunities to build habits, accept feedback and learn how to contribute to a team.

Ferguson’s award offers a welcome opportunity to recognize the coach guiding that work and the commitment it takes to lead students through a season.

Greg Stiles: A Spring Honor In Softball

Softball coach Greg Stiles received his league’s Coach of the Year award last spring, earning recognition for his work leading UVC’s athletes.

A season brings repeated opportunities to teach, whether a player is learning a skill, working through a mistake or finding the confidence to try again. Helping young athletes improve takes patience and a willingness to keep working alongside them.

Stiles’ honor places a deserved spotlight on his contribution to UVC softball.

Abby Parker: Bringing A Team Together

Before her first season as UVC’s head volleyball coach, Abby Parker faced an uncertain summer. She did not have enough girls to field a team.

Before she could prepare a lineup or plan for an opponent, she needed players.

Parker helped bring that team together, and her first season ended with her selection as Skyline Head Coach of the Year. It was a remarkable turn from a summer when simply having a season was in question.

Her perseverance and commitment helped give UVC’s volleyball players a season to remember, and her league took notice.

Michael Graham: Twelve Players Reach The State Playoffs

Michael Graham’s soccer team had just 12 players, many with limited experience in the sport.

With a roster that small, every player mattered. Learning the game and learning to trust one another had to happen together.

Graham guided that group to the first round of the state playoffs, an accomplishment that reflected patient teaching and determination throughout the season.

For those athletes, the journey offered a chance to discover how far they could go together. For Graham, it was a meaningful result from the work of helping an inexperienced group become a team.

Dave York: A Coaching Legacy Earns Recognition

Dave York earned his league’s baseball Coach of the Year award last spring. His next honor will recognize a contribution to the sport that extends well beyond one season.

York has been selected for the Oregon Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and is scheduled to be inducted with the November 2027 class.

The selection honors his lasting contribution to baseball and the athletes he has coached. At UVC, students continue to benefit from the experience and dedication behind that recognition.

A league award and a place in the Hall of Fame offer two meaningful reasons to celebrate York’s work, both with the current program and across his coaching career.

Lessons That Last Beyond A Season

Together, these coaches help carry UVC’s Christian mission into practices, competition and everyday relationships with students. The school asks its athletes to pursue excellence while becoming humble, coachable and Christlike young people.

Athletics gives students opportunities to practice those values: accepting correction, responding to disappointment, supporting a teammate and taking responsibility for their own effort. Coaches are there to guide them through those moments.

That responsibility requires time and care long before an award is announced.

For Ferguson, Stiles, Parker, Graham and York, this year’s recognition gives the community a chance to celebrate both their accomplishments and the daily investment they make in UVC’s students.