Who Are Idaho’s New Varsity Head Coaches Entering 2017-2018 And What Prospects Will They Impact Most?
photo credit: www.idahostatesman.com
As with any new prep hoops basketball season, change is a common occurrence. Especially at the varsity head coaching level, new names pop out at different schools seemingly every year. With each new head coach comes a different style of play, a new mindset for players and most importantly hope.
Following coaching trends and news is crucial when assessing who could possibly do what in terms of prospects. Not only are these coaches teachers on and often times off the court, but the impact they have on fostering and maximizing a young player’s potential is immeasurable. Thus, Prep Hoops Idaho tracked down all the movement this past offseason in terms of varsity head coaches from around the state, to help provide a glimpse at possible changes for the better with regards to each prospect at these given schools below.
Check out Prep Hoops Idaho’s varsity head coach tracker below and which players could potentially be impacted for the better this upcoming season.
Jeff Lavender – New Plymouth
Lavender took over the job at New Plymouth after a more than successful stint at The College of Idaho. Before taking the job, Lavender coached for four seasons for the Yotes, but prior to that, coached an impressive 19 years in California chalking up a 335-183 record for San Marcos and Santa Barbara. New Plymouth reached the state tournament a season ago and won their first game against Firth, under Lavender the team looks to reach even greater levels. At this time, New Plymouth does not have any players in our rankings, but we expect that to change as the season progresses.
Wally Foster – Shelley
In Blackfoot, Idaho, news this past Spring broke that Wally Foster, who was an assistant football, girls basketball and head coach of the baseball team, will take over the boys varsity team in 2017-2018. Entering the 17-18 season, Shelley does not have any players that cracked our rankings.
Trent Whiting – Burley
Big news rumbled over in Burley, Idaho this past offseason as the school decided to hire former BYU player and Idaho prep standout Trent Whiting who also enjoyed 12 seasons of professional basketball in Italy. Whiting moved to Burley after spending time as an assistant for Syracuse (Utah) high school, where his son was playing. This will be Whiting’s first season as a head coach, but given his illustrious career, he should thrive quickly in the situation and with the talent on his squad.
Prep standouts that will be on hand for Whiting this season are Ryan Bagley (17th ranked of 2018 class), Bagley just recently made our top dime dishers piece and is the reigning Times-News Great Basin Conference Player of the Year. Jackson Hill (31st ranked of 2018 class), and Andrew Ferrin (12th ranked of 2019 class) will be players to watch under Whiting’s tutelage among more.
Joe Keeney – Hagerman
According to Matt Harris at IdahoSports.com, Joe Keeney will be the man in charge at Hagerman. Currently, there are no ranked prospects from his squad in our rankings.
Hagerman has hired Joe Keeney as their new boys head basketball coach and Derrick Lyons as the new girls head basketball coach. #IDPreps
— Matt Harris (@IdahoSportsMatt) October 18, 2017
James Twoteeth – Lakeside
James Twoteeth will take over the head coaching job for varsity boys at Lakeside this season. Twoteeth was previously the JV coach, and was a member of Lakeside’s 1997 state A-4 championship team. Before spearheading the JV team last season, Twoteeth coached for six seasons at Lakeside Middle School and prior to that, Twoteeth coached youth basketball grades 1-6 for three years. He has a firm handle on the area’s youth, and will look to get this program once where it was when he played twenty years ago. Lakeside does not enter 2017-2018 with any players in our rankings.
Juan Rodgriguez – Oakley
Rodriguez not only takes over the boys varsity program at Oakley, but he will also assume Athletic Director responsibilities. Rodriguez enters the new gigs after spending the past six years as the Indian Education Coordinator for the Blackfoot School District and he was Sho-Ban’s Athletic Director the last two years. He has coached at North Fremont and also Century. This team had a very nice run up until the end of the season last year where they dropped three of their last four games to just miss out on their third straight 1A Division I state tournament. Oakley, albeit a talented team does not yet have any players in our rankings to start the season.
Nick Gonzales – Hansen
Nick Gonzales takes the reigns for the Hansen varsity boys program after coming over from Gooding where he was the varsity softball coach for the past five years. Hansen does not have any players within our 2017-2018 preseason rankings.
Justin Alsterlund – Wendell
Alsterlund enters his new role as boys varsity head coach for Wendell after coaching as interim head football coach in 2016 for the final seven games. This will be his first season as head coach for the Trojans and the program currently does not have any players in our 2017-2018 rankings.
Rob Anderson – Filer
Rob Anderson is no stranger to Filer athletics as he was the head football coach last season and finished the season 3-5. Anderson will be flanked by former Wendell boys varsity head coach Marty Oyler, whom resigned from his position at Wendell for a change in scenery at Filer. The program currently does not have any players in our 2017-2018 rankings.
Jeff Sanor – Meridian
Jeff Sanor is the new man in charge for Meridian High School beginning this season. Sanor has a rich playing history as he played for the University of Washington for three years in the late 1980s. A graduate of Boise High School, Sanor finished his collegiate playing career with a season at Boise State University. Sanor has been an assistant coach at Boise High School and also a coach for the Boise Slam program since 2010. This will be his first head coaching gig. Javen Woodall (19th ranked in 2019 class), a skilled guard and Boise Slam player will look to benefit from the coaching switch and is a player to track.
Art Polson – Firth
Polson takes over a program with very large shoes to fill as former head coach Scott Adams took the program to seven titles and ten Nuclear Conference titles in thirteen years. However, Firth Principal Jeff Gee has stated that he is firmly behind the new hire in Polson. Currently, Firth does not have any players that cracked our 2017-2018 rankings.
Travis Schwab – Madison
Travis Schwab enters his head coaching role at Madison with a bevy of great coaching experience including 12 years as an assistant with former head coach Bill Hawkins. In total, Schwab has 17 years of coaching experience as well as a lead organizer of summer basketball programs and camps in the area. Schwab’s Madison program has a number of players that hit our rankings in 2017-2018 including Brigham Williams (23rd ranked in 2018 class), Joseph Daugherty (33rd ranked in 2018 class), Cameron Webster (35th ranked in 2018 class), Spencer Hathaway (21st ranked in 2019 class), Mason McWhorter (27th ranked in 2019 class), Jordan Porter (29th ranked in 2019 class), Carson Downey (12th ranked in 2020 class), Mark Williams (14th ranked in 2020 class), Dawson Wills (15th ranked in 2020 class), Braxton Pierce (2nd ranked in 2021 class), Taden King (7th ranked in 2021 class), and Quin Wilcox (9th ranked in 2021 class).
Ryan Frost – Century
Frost assumes his role with Century after spending last season as an assistant for the Shelley’s boys varsity team and before that, six seasons as a boys varsity assistant in Twin Falls and two seasons in a similar role at Highland. Frost has a past with working in successful programs and will look to bring that experience with him to Century. A prospect to watch for under Frost’s wing will be Coleton Adamson (27th ranked in 2018 class), also Deshun Harwell (9th ranked in 2019 class), along with Hayden Schultz (4th ranked in 2021 class), and Emmett Holt (11th ranked in 2021 class).
Jeff Ranstorm – Eagle
Jeff Ranstorm returns to his alma mater to take over the boys varsity program. After a successful playing career at the prep level for Eagle High, Ranstorm played for Big Bend Community College and then onto to Eastern Oregon University where he finished and graduated. Ranstorm coached at EOU after his playing career and has since coached the sophomore and then JV team at Eagle High before his latest position. Under Ranstorm’s experienced eye, players to watch for will be Jake Ferguson (36th ranked in 2018 class), Parker Schwers (42nd ranked in 2018 class), Drew LaJocies (5th ranked in 2019 class), Cole Lake (11th ranked in 2019 class), Austin Hayhurst (41st ranked in 2019 class), and Tanner Hayhurst (1st ranked in 2020 class). There is plenty of talent here at the program for Ranstorm to develop and thrive with.
Nampa?
Prep Hoops Idaho is making an effort to get information on who will be coaching the Nampa High Bulldogs this upcoming season. Will update as soon as that information is gathered. However, as of right now Trevor Morris is named the head coach according to their website: http://nampabulldogs.org/boys_basketball/coaches