Former AD, coach, sportswriter Dave Weber remembered as champion of Thurston County athletics
From his upbringing in California to his years in Thurston County, Dave Weber was always around sports.
He served in athletic administration, coached, worked as a newspaper reporter and hosted local radio shows. Wherever he was, he was passionate about local sports.
Weber died Saturday, Dec. 3 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. He was 67.
Weber joined the Thurston County community in 2000, when he was hired as the athletic director at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, after working as both an administrator and coach at the college level in the Bay Area.
A graduate of the University of La Verne, where he played basketball, and the University of San Francisco, Weber helped build athletic programs at three colleges in the Bay Area before moving to Washington.
For 15 years from 1985-2000, Weber worked as the athletic director at both Dominican College of San Rafael and Patten College in Oakland, while also coaching men’s basketball at both schools, and also spent time working in athletics at the University of California at Berkeley.
When Weber arrived in Washington, he spent a decade reshaping athletics at Evergreen from 2000-10. During his tenure, Evergreen sent four teams (men’s basketball in 2002, 2009 and 2010, and men’s soccer in 2004) on to compete at the NAIA national level for the first time in school history, among many more achievements.
Whether in California or Washington, Weber worked to help athletic communities make positive strides.
“He understood the importance of sports, and how it can shape not even just individuals, but can shape a whole community and bring everybody together,” said Sasha Weber, Dave’s daughter. “I felt that in everything that he did.”
Allen Thomas, who now coaches boys basketball at Timberline High School, met Dave Weber when he played at Evergreen in the early 2000s, and Weber was the athletic director.
“Dave was always a dude who was really hands on,” Thomas said. “He’d come to a lot of practices, games on the road, just to make sure things were smooth.”
Thomas remembers Weber keeping the players’ spirits up after losses, especially players who were from different parts of the country, living far from home.
“After a bad game, he’d always find the bright side on anything,” Thomas said. “He always uplifted people with his words. … When he talked, people stopped and listened.
“ … He just found ways to put a smile on your face even in the darkest times.”
Beyond working as an athletic director at three colleges, Weber also connected with athletes as a coach at the youth, high school and college levels throughout his career.
The athlete he enjoyed coaching the most — on or off the court — was his daughter, whom he adored. The two shared a love of basketball, in particular. Always present for games throughout her career, Sasha Weber remembers her dad’s constant support growing up.
“Just having that support in the stands or having that voice — it doesn’t matter how loud a gym was, or how hectic a game was, I could hear his voice above everybody else,” she said.
“Whether that be encouraging me, or just calming me down or telling me to follow through better. … That’s a huge privilege to have a support system like that, and honestly would not even be the person or athlete that I was without (him).”
Sasha Weber was a star basketball player at Timberline from 2008-12, and The Olympian’s All-Area player of the year as a senior, after leading the Blazers to back-to-back appearances in the Class 3A state regionals.
She went on to star at New Mexico State and play professionally in Europe, with her dad always cheering her on.
“My dad definitely poured out everything he had into making sure I had the best life possible,” Sasha Weber said. “I can’t really put it into words, there’s just a level of love that’s immeasurable and indescribable, and that is literally what my dad gave me my entire life and for his entire life.”
Said Thomas: “When he was around that kid, you see that (soft) side. I could tell how much he loved Sasha. He was just so proud of her. I think we all were.
“To see the basketball player she became, it was awesome. … It’s just in their blood, that basketball tradition.”
Dave Weber — with his signature gruff, husky voice — always had a way with words, making for a seamless transition to sportswriting and radio broadcasting in recent years.
He covered local high school and college sports, working often with The Olympian and 95.3 KGY in Olympia, as well as other outlets around the state.
As a sports reporter, Dave Weber was the type of writer editors covet — accurate, thorough and requiring limited direction. He went out and found the story, unearthing compelling connections and angles.
Many tributes to Dave Weber’s contributions to the sports community in Thurston County and beyond have been posted on social media.
“He was a kind man whose professionalism and dedication to local athletics will be dearly missed,” a message on Tumwater football’s Twitter account reads. “We are grateful for all he did for Thurston County kids.”
In the many ways Dave Weber contributed to high school and college athletics — as an athletic director, coach, reporter or encouraging parent watching from the stands — he always did so with a positive outlook.
“My dad had a passion and a love for everything,” Sasha Weber said. “So, that’s kind of the way I try to conduct myself still, and probably the best way I can honor him, is to keep going, which is what he would be telling me.”
Sasha Weber noted her appreciation for the doctors and nurses at Providence St. Peter, as well as the community and “everybody that got to know my dad, and everyone’s that has poured out their love to him and the rest of my family.”
An opportunity for community members to gather in remembrance of Deve Weber and celebrate his life will likely be scheduled after the first of the year.
“I’m happy and I’m proud to be his daughter, and to see that he’s left an impact,” Sasha Weber said. “ … He made his impact, and it’s a positive impact, and I’m forever grateful, and just grateful for the community that he was so proud of.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2022 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Former AD, coach, sportswriter Dave Weber remembered as champion of Thurston County athletics."
