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Brooke Cates is no longer the head coach of the women’s basketball team at West Linn High School in Oregon. That comes despite a state title win in March.
A scandal erupted following that championship season, leading to her resignation. An angry parent is believed to be the source of an information leak.
Details of the controversy have now been made public. Private text messages were made circulated throughout the West Linn community. The optics of those conversations aren’t great.
West Linn High School’s basketball coach stepped down.
Cates led the Lions to a 26-3 record in the 2026 season, capturing the program’s first state title and a No. 1 overall ranking in Oregon.
West Linn secured that crown with a 61-56 win over South Medford on March 14th. About a month later, its head coach retired.
That decision was not exactly made willingly.
In April, private conversations were made public by a parent of a player on the team. He or she allegedly gained access to a staffer’s iPad and snapped screenshots of the messages.
Some of those discussions involved criticism of players, including one in which Cates referenced a team member as being “cancerous.”
Andrew Nemec of West Coast Biased broke the story on Monday. He revealed what transpired behind the scenes following what was the school’s most successful season.
Last month, West Linn coach Brooke Cates stepped down from her position after private texts messages between her and a parent were copied onto a burner phone by another parent and sent to “who knows how many people” in the basketball community.
According to multiple sources inside the program, those messages included criticism of players and parents of the West Linn team, fueling considerable anger and resentment from parents.
Cates stood by some of her criticisms despite the optics. She admitted that there was tension within the team citing jealousy.
That may or may not have been linked to playing time and attention. Cates, according to Nemec’s story, had struggled appeasing parents in the past.
She put that animosity aside to coach in 2026. She will not do the same in 2027.
Recruiting activity is also under investigation.
A text message referenced the potential transfer of a player from Southridge located in nearby Beaverton. That conversation has been sent to the OSAA. A probe is “ongoing.”
The scandal puts a dark cloud over a championship winning season. Brook Cates will retire after nine years leading the program. She was hired in 2018 following the resignation of predecessor Jared Curtiss.
There has been little reported on her retirement. She is still listed on the school’s athletic directory but will reportedly serve in a teaching-only role moving forward.
West Linn’s search for a new women’s basketball coach is underway.