Frank Cheek
Newport High School Classmate
Head Softball Coach

Frank Cheek has been a veritable living legend at Humboldt State University since his arrival in 1969. His success story is illustrated by a total of 1,338 victories — 1,077 in softball and 261 more as Humboldt’s wrestling coach.

In December 2009, Cheek received the highest honor a softball coach can achieve.  He was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame, becoming just the 50th coach to be so honored.

In 2008, Cheek and the Lumberjacks brought back to the campus for the second time in his tenure the Holy Grail of all collegiate trophies — the NCAA National Championship — and again proved that Cheek’s program is the best in the country.

On that team, he coached three all-America, five all-region and five all-conference players, while his coaching staff was honored as the NFCA coaching staff of the year.

Under his guidance, stand-out pitcher Lizzy Prescott was honored by being nominated for the Honda Division II Athlete of the Year and took home hardware as the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s Female Athlete of the Year and Daktronic’s All-West Region Pitcher of the Year awards. Natalie Galletly earned Daktronic’s All-West Region Player of the Year, while Nikki Ketteringham was honored by the conference as freshman of the year during 2008. Prescott, Galletly and Ketteringham’s accomplishments earned them a spot on the 2008 All-American team.

In his 23 seasons as HSU softball coach, he has guided the Lumberjacks to 18 conference championships, 19 west regional playoff appearances and five west region titles, including capturing 1999’s “Best of the West” title in dramatic fashion. He has also been named conference Coach of the Year 12 times, including his final three seasons in the Pacific West. The 2001 coaching staff was named the best in the west region and Cheek was also honored for achieving his 600th win. He was named West Region Coach of the Year in 2001, following an impressive 54-14 season and the team’s third berth to the national tournament. Cheek has directed 33 softball All-Americans.

In 2005, Cheek was named co-Great Northwest Athletic Conference coach of the year, guiding the Lumberjacks to a 54-6 overall finish. Humboldt earned it’s fifth straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown with a 22-2 league mark.

In 2004, Cheek led the Jacks to a 60-6 overall finish, tying the program’s record for wins in a single season. The Jacks also finished 22-2 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, earning their fourth straight GNAC crown.

In 2001 he led the Jacks to their second Pacific West Conference title and won the NCAA West Region Championships for the fourth time.

In 1999, Cheek’s Lumberjacks were ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation during the season. However, after losing the Pacific West Conference championship to Hawaii Pacific, HSU avenged the defeat in the regional tournament held at UC Davis (where some of the team’s greatest wins have been played) to beat Hawaii Pacific twice and advanced to Salem, Va., for a shot at the national title.

The Lumberjacks swept through the field at the national championship tournament and kept their 1999 post-season record perfect at 8-0 to bring home the top prize. The ‘Jacks finished No. 1 and were the top-ranked team for most of the 2000 season.

Cheek’s Lumberjacks easily handled Nebraska-Kearney in the championship game, 7-2 — and the rest is history in the record books as the HSU softball team gave the university it’s first ever national championship in a female sport.

“It’s a feeling I’ll never forget,” Cheek told the national media after the big victory. “I felt we were destined. In all the years I’ve been coaching, I’ve never had that feeling before.”

In 1998, the Lumberjacks captured the final Northern California Athletic Conference title, posting a 60-7 overall record and advancing to the West Regional Tournament.

Under his leadership in 1994, HSU finished the season No. 2 in the nation, advancing all the way to the NCAA Division II championship game. They returned to the championships in 1995, finishing third after defeating defending champion Merrimack.

The Lumberjacks did not field a team from 1984 to 1988.

Before taking over the Humboldt softball program, Cheek coached the Arcata High softball team for five years in addition to his duties as HSU wrestling coach. While at Arcata, his team won four league titles and made five section appearances.

Cheek, who coached wrestling for 22 seasons at Humboldt State, is the winningest coach in school history. His wrestling teams have won more than 250 matches. Cheek’s athletes have won a total of 46 All-America awards from the NCAA, including five individual national championships.
Cheek was inducted to the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003

Prior to graduating from San Francisco State University in 1963, Cheek served four years in the United States Marine Corps. While at San Francisco State, he participated in baseball and wrestling. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a master’s degree in physical education. In addition, he has a Secondary Administration Credential and a Secondary Teaching Credential.

In 1991, Cheek was inducted into the San Francisco State Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduating he taught five years at Ceres High School. He joined the staff at HSU in 1969 as the wrestling coach and has also served as athletic director.