born in seattle, bone attended shorecrest high school in shoreline, washington. his father walt was a high school basketball coach. ken bone played junior college basketball at shoreline community college and edmonds community college before transferring to seattle pacific university in 1980 and playing there as a reserve guard for two years. bone graduated from seattle pacific in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and later completed a master's in athletic administration from the same university in 1993.