Nearly 300 people came to Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center Friday night to bid farewell to on of Mercer Island’s sporting legends.

Friends and family came together to for a retirement tribute for Ed Pepple, who retired after 42 years as coach of Mercer Island High School boy’s basketball.

His overall record of 952 wins and 306 losses makes Pepple the winningest coach in state high school basketball history. He led the Islanders to four state championships in 1985, 1993, 1997 and 1999.

The Mercer Island Reporter will feature a special report of the event from the perspective of a former MIHS player in our Wednesday, Aug. 12 issue.

Seattle Times reporter Tom Wyrwich also covered this story.