Coaching Staff

Michael Kelly

Head Coach

This season marks Coach Michael Kelly’s 28th as a head basketball coach and
his third leading the Woodinville High School Falcons. Coach Kelly is proud to
be part of the Falcon Family, not only as the basketball coach but also as the
school’s Activities Director. In this role, he has the privilege of contributing to
the many experiences that make high school so memorable for students.
Basketball at Woodinville is truly a family affair for Coach Kelly and his
wife, Megan. Their sons Liam, a senior, and Rowan, a freshman, are
both members of the basketball program, competing on the varsity
and freshman teams, respectively. Their oldest son, Declan, serves as
the assistant coach for the Falcons’ 7th-grade select team, and their
daughter, Bevin, is a senior at the University of Oregon pursuing her teaching credential.
For Coach Kelly, the heart of basketball lies in the opportunity to shape and transform young
athletes both on and off the court. He values the positive growth of players through the sport
as the most rewarding aspect of his coaching journey. Of course, the chance to compete at
a high level adds to the excitement and energy that makes basketball so special.
Having spent his entire coaching career in the greater Seattle area, Coach Kelly feels fortunate to have
developed meaningful relationships with players, families, and the basketball community. He considers
it a blessing to have watched so many great players from his front-row seat on the sidelines.
As the Falcons prepare for another exciting season, Coach Kelly looks forward to
continuing to build a program rooted in Excellence and Playing Hard.

Bob Nicol

Assistant Coach

Bob grew up on Orcas Island and played college basketball at WWU. The Vikings finished fifth in the NAIA National Championship in his Junior year. During his Senior year, he broke the school record for assists in a season and was voted to the All-League Team.

After college, Coach Nicol played AAU basketball, winning the National Championship and the William Jones Cup in Taiwan. He spent three years in Australia, coaching and playing in Brisbane and Mackay. He ran clinics for Australia’s Junior Program and coached the Queensland Under-16 State Team to 2nd place in the Australian Championship.

Coach Nicol has spent the last 20 years coaching youth basketball - the Select program and at WHS. Bob and his wife, Janine, have three boys, Tyler, Cory, and Tanner who have all played Select Basketball and at WHS. In his spare time, you’ll find Bob playing golf and tennis.

Cory Smith

JV Team Head Coach

Cory grew up in the Northshore community and graduated from Inglemoor High School in 1994, lettering & earning All KingCo Honors in Football, Basketball, & Baseball. After high school, he played shortstop for Edmonds Community College and received All NWAAC honors and a full scholarship to Oklahoma State University, where he played in the 1996 College World Series. Coach Smith transferred to New Mexico State University where he led the Aggies in several offensive categories during his junior & senior seasons and was selected to the All Big West Conference team as a utility player and centerfielder respectively. Recently, Coach Smith was the head baseball coach at Sammamish High School where he helped the Totems to a State Playoff appearance in 2015. He was also the head coach at Mercer Island High School from 2009-2012 where he led the Islanders to a KingCo 3A championship and the first State Playoff win in over 10 years. Cory was also voted KingCo 3A Coach of the Year in 2010. Coach Smith has been a part of the Woodinville community for many years now, coaching Football since 2002 & Basketball since 2014. He is currently teaching Health & P.E. at Timbercrest Middle School. Coach Smith has also worked with Woodinville baseball team since 2016 & has coached the JV basketball team at WHS for a total of 10 years. Cory has been married to his lovely wife Elizabeth for 10 years, traveling when they can, & living the dream!

JAKE PHIPPS

Freshman Team Head Coach

Jake grew up in Eastern Washington, where he developed a lifelong passion for sports, playing both basketball and baseball at Freeman high school. He continued his athletic career at Saint Martin’s University, playing collegiate baseball.

After college, Jake began his coaching journey in Eastern Washington coaching AAU basketball, helping young athletes grow their skills and love for the game. For the past two years, he has been a part of the Woodinville Feeder Program. Off the court, Jake works as an architectural sales representative and enjoys golfing and traveling with his wife, Aimee.

NIKOLA TRIFUNOVIC

Assistant Coach

Nikola grew up in Woodinville and in many gyms around the Greater Seattle Area. In high school he was a four-year varsity player at Seattle Preparatory School for current WHS head coach Michael Kelly. Following high school, he was an all-conference player at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. Trifunovic was one of the top scorers in the Northwest Conference where he earned first-team all-league honors and was named to the 2022 all-region team. He currently is a full-time employee at WHS in the English Language Development program.

Nikola deeply loves the game of basketball and all of its details, yet his passion for it lies in the people and lessons learned. He wants players at WHS to see the sport as a means to better themselves as young men. He feels very grateful to all of his past coaches and sees it as a responsibility to pass on the wealth of knowledge that they have given him.