Finishing his 11th season as head coach at Saint Ignatius in the 2024-25 season, Jim Viets is a bowling veteran, leading the Alley Cats to one of the top high school programs in Ohio.
Viets started at Saint Ignatius as a junior varsity assistant. Outside of his time at Saint Ignatius, Viets has coached a variety of youth sports, from CYO to summer leagues, for over 20 years.
As a JV coach, Viets guided the Wildcats to the league championship and a sweep of all three division titles. As the varsity coach, Viets led the Wildcats to a league championship in 2015-16 and a scratch title along the way. The Alley Cats competed in five tournaments and were very competitive in all five. The Wildcats finished third or better in five tournaments.
In 2019, Viets coached the school's second-ever qualifier for the State Tournament, Vinny Doran. In 2020, Viets led the Wildcats to the District Tournament for the first time since 2011.
In the 2023-24 season, the Alley Cats made program history, qualifying for the OHSAA State Tournament. That season, the Cats bowled a perfect game at the District Meet.
Ther very next season, coach Viets would guide the Wildcats to their highest finish in the state. The Wildcats would place fourth at the State Tournament, qualifying for the final Baker Games of tournament play.
Viets has been married to his wife, Susan, for nearly 30 years. Jim and Susan have three children. Nathan '10, Zachary '14, and Katherine.
