Mountain View baseball coach resigns. In 19 years, he built the Mavs into a state power
The only baseball coach in Mountain View High history recently decided to hang up his cleats.
Matt Rasmussen, 50, resigned as the Mavericks’ baseball coach after 19 seasons building Mountain View into one of the premier programs in the state. Rasmussen said he debated all spring whether he should move on. But after running a summer tryout earlier this month, he realized he needed to be elsewhere.
His oldest son, Brooks Rasmussen, wrapped up his first baseball season at Columbia Basin College. His youngest son, Brody Rasmussen, just graduated from Mountain View and will play at Blue Mountain College next year. And his 9-year-old daughter, Mikki Rasmussen, is entering her competitive years with the Indie Chicas soccer club.
“I went to the first practice, and it hit me: I don’t have the energy anymore to do this,” Rasmussen said. “Brooks is playing in Lake Havasu (Arizona), and Brody is playing on a travel team. I felt like I should spend June and July watching those guys compete. And I felt like I should let Mountain View find somebody who has that juice to take this on.”
Rasmussen went 298-207 (.590) at Mountain View, made nine state tournament appearances and was named the 5A Southern Idaho Conference coach of the year five times, including each of the past four full seasons.
He guided the Mavericks to a state title in 2019, putting together one of the most dominant seasons in Idaho history. Mountain View outscored opponents 33-2 at the state tournament that year, the largest margin of victory for any 5A champion since 1992, as far back as the Idaho Statesman’s records date.
Mountain View also won a pair of district titles under Rasmussen, including one this year. And he went 63-27 in three seasons at Twin Falls, leaving him with a career record of 361-234 (.607), all at the 5A level.
“It is tough to walk away when the future is so bright, but I need to make my family a priority,” Rasmussen wrote in a follow-up email to the Idaho Statesman. “I’m super sad, scared and nervous about what’s next. But I do feel it is the right time to move on.
“Mountain View has been my home for 19 years, and I did my best to give our program everything I had. I’m proud of where we are now compared to where we were when we started back in 2004. I have wonderful memories and have made lots of great friends along the way. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world.”
Rasmussen will continue to teach, but he will move to Owyhee as a physical education teacher and assistant athletic director. The professional change ensures he won’t loom over the Mavericks and their new coach, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen is the second of Mountain View’s original coaches to depart this spring. Mavericks girls basketball coach Connie Skogrand also resigned after 19 seasons.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 12:12 PM.
