LIFETIME SERVICE TO WRESTLING

1990-1993 Mount Vernon Youth Wrestling Coach 

1992-2006 Mt Baker and Laventure Middle School Head Wrestling Coach 

OFFICIATING: 1969-present Whatcom-Skagit Wrestling Officials Association 

Randy Audette had the privilege of wrestling for two Washington Chapter National Hall of Fame Coaches Albert “Bo” Campbell at Burlington Edison High School (1964-1968) and Gary Knutzen at Skagit Valley College (1968-1970). Audette was a state competitor and team captain in high school and placed 3rd in the State Community College tournament for Skagit Valley College. It was Knutzen who introduced Randy to wrestling officiating and the two have remained close ever since. The first time Audette officiated a high school match was in 1970 when he and Knutzen traveled to Oak Harbor High School where Audette refereed the junior varsity match and Knutzen the varsity match. Audette had help from Hall of Fame Coach Bruce Cook for several years when he coached wrestling at the middle school level.

Audette’s officiating career spans 52 years and he continues to officiate matches for the Whatcom-Skagit Wrestling Officials Association and plans to continue officiating as long as he can still go on the mat. He has worked 34 state tournament and been the head official at 20 of those state tournaments. He has served on his association board of directors since1985 in different capacities and has been the president of the association the last 14 years. Working with Hall of Fame official John DeWeber, they created a video on “How to Call Stalling” that has been distributed to all the state wrestling official’s associations in an effort to gain consistency in stalling calls. 

Over his 52-year career, Audette has received many accolades. In 2008 he received the Joe Babbitt Contributors Award from the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association. He was inducted into the Burlington Edison High School Hall of Fame in 2010 and was the 2015 Washington State “Official of the Year.” The Washington Officials Association presented Randy with their Meritorious Service Award in 2018. 

Randy said in a recent interview, “If it weren’t for the great people involved, I wouldn’t have been there this long. The fellow officials in the association have been like best friends for me over the past 30 years.” In addition to his wrestling involvement, Audette has coached little league baseball (1987-1999), umpired little league baseball (2000-2004) and coached youth soccer (1987-2002) where he was head coach for 10 of those years. Randy currently lives in Burlington with his partner Patti Sands. He has two adult sons, Cody (39) and Casey (36) and two grandchildren, twins Ayla and Ace.