Jim Wilund spent 33 years as a teacher, coach and principal in northern Idaho before he retired from Lewiston High in 2005. He grew up in Coeur d’Alene where he played football, basketball and track. He then went on to Idaho and played football where as a tight end during the 1971 season, he caught 26 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown.
After graduating from UI, Jim started his teaching and coaching career at Timberline High in the Piece-Weippe area in 1972. After two years there, he moved on to Post Falls High where he was head track coach along with being an assistant football and basketball coach. In 1976, he was named head football and baseball coach at St. Maries High School where he also served as athletic director for a year.
Jim then became an administrator in 1979 when he was named the principal at St. Maries Junior High. He served for five years and then became principal at Sandpoint High for four years (1984-88). His final job was principal at Lewiston High for 17 years (1988-2005) until his retirement.
Jim began working as a high school basketball official in 1976 and officiated in 18 Idaho state basketball tournaments and seven in baseball. He was named to the Idaho High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. He was the basketball commissioner for District I (1984) and District II (1992-2006).
In 1988, Jim started officiating college basketball. He worked eight Frontier Conference tournaments and also at the NAIA national tournament one season. He later became a basketball official observer for both the Pac-12 and Western Athletic conferences.
Jim belonged to numerous professional organizations and served as president for both the District I and District II Principals Association. He also did onsite visits to China and Panama as part of the International Accreditation Committee.
Jim earned several honors during his career. He was a winner of the National Federation of High School’s Section 8 Distinguished Service Award (1986), and inductee into the District 1 Officials Hall of Fame (1996), and was a finalist for the Idaho Principal of the Year (1996). He was inducted into the Idaho High School Activity Association’s Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jim passed away in December 2019.