Coaching Staff
Developing players, teammates and leaders through high standards, competitive basketball and a commitment to the Woodinville community.
Coaching Beyond Basketball.
Woodinville Basketball is built around a connected player pathway and a coaching staff committed to development at every level. The goal is not simply to build better basketball players, but better teammates, competitors and young men.
The Falcon Standard
Compete with toughness. Share the basketball. Hold one another accountable. Represent Woodinville the right way.
Mike Kelly
Coach Mike Kelly brings nearly three decades of head-coaching experience to Woodinville and one of the most accomplished résumés in Washington high school basketball.
Before joining the Falcons, Kelly built successful programs at Liberty and Redmond before spending 17 seasons at Seattle Prep. His teams at Prep reached the postseason every season and advanced to the WIAA state tournament 12 times.
Kelly's programs have traditionally been built around hard-nosed man-to-man defense, defined roles, sharing the basketball and the belief that the lessons of the game are bigger than basketball.
At Woodinville, that philosophy continues through a program centered on Playing Hard, Demanding Excellence and making No Excuses.
Basketball Coaches Association
Hall of Fame
A Hall of Fame Coaching Career.
Kelly was inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022 after building a career defined by sustained success and player development.
His Hall of Fame profile credited him with 448 career victories as he transitioned to Woodinville. Before arriving at WHS, Kelly had already led teams to 14 WIAA state tournament appearances: two at Redmond and 12 at Seattle Prep.
Woodinville qualified for the state tournament in 2023, 2024 and 2026, increasing Kelly's career total to 17 state tournament trips. His Seattle Prep tenure was highlighted by the 2006 Class 3A state championship, along with second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and two sixth-place state finishes.
Sustained Success Across Washington.
One Staff. One Program.
Woodinville's coaching staff brings experience from high school, college, international and youth basketball to the Falcon program.
Bob Nicol
Coach Nicol played college basketball at Western Washington University, where he set the school's single-season assists record and earned all-league honors. He later played AAU basketball, won a national championship and the William Jones Cup, and spent three years playing and coaching in Australia. Nicol has spent more than two decades coaching Woodinville youth, Select and high school basketball.
Nikola Trifunovic
A Woodinville native, Trifunovic played four varsity seasons at Seattle Prep for Coach Kelly before continuing his career at Whitman College. He became one of the Northwest Conference's leading scorers, earning first-team all-conference recognition and 2022 all-region honors. Nikola also works full-time at Woodinville High School and emphasizes basketball as a vehicle for personal growth and leadership.
Cory Smith
Coach Smith is a longtime Northshore coach and educator. A three-sport All-KingCo athlete at Inglemoor, he went on to play college baseball at Edmonds, Oklahoma State and New Mexico State. His coaching résumé includes a KingCo 3A baseball championship at Mercer Island and KingCo Coach of the Year honors. Smith has coached Woodinville basketball since 2014 and teaches Health and P.E. at Timbercrest Middle School.
Jake Phipps
Coach Phipps grew up in Eastern Washington, competing in basketball and baseball at Freeman High School before playing collegiate baseball at Saint Martin's University. He began coaching AAU basketball in Eastern Washington and later joined the Woodinville feeder program, helping young players build skill, competitiveness and a lasting connection to the game.
Culture is Winning.
The standards established throughout Falcon Basketball connect our youth program to Woodinville High School.
One Program. One Community.
Learn more about Woodinville High School basketball, Falcon Select and the pathway connecting our players.