There are three top coaching basketball jobs available as we
are in the mist of the off season for basketball. Two of them are in the Boys
and Two in the Girls. I feel confident whom will be the coaches at Southfield Arts and Technology. I will look at what impact the coaching jobs will give
and whom are the top candidates for each job. I won’t make a projection whom
will get the job, that choice will be made by the Athletic Director's who will make
them.
Oxford Girls:
Oxford coach Steve Emert resigned after his Wildcats lost to
Waterford Mott in the pre-district last March. The Wildcats will return a ton of
experience led by Monae Evans, Madelyn Morris, Jordyn Zyniger, Grace Cleland,
and Ashley Herschman. Oxford has a strong incoming Freshman Class as well which
will make the job that much easier. The Wildcats will be in a division (White)
in which they will compete in and is very well a dark horse.
I think the top candidate is Rachel Bryer. Bryer was an
assistant under Emert and does know the players very well. Bryer would bring a
ton of experience with her under the tutelage of Emert
I also like Jeff Marshall. Marshall was the Junior Varsity
Coach at Oxford and does know the system quite well. He brings experience as well which is a bonus.
Al Poynter is an interesting candidate because he coached
the Wildcats until he decided to step down from coaching in 2011.
I think a dark horse candidate is Jamie Glinz. Glinz coached
at Southfield last season and with the merger of them and Southfield-Lathrup to
become Southfield Arts and Technology looming, the likely new coach will be
Michelle Marshall over there. I think the move up north could benefit him.
I think this may be a long shot but the Wildcats could look
at former Walled Lake Western coach Dave Smith. Smith resigned mid-season from
Walled Lake Western would be an interesting hire because he would bring an AAU
background along with coaching experience and also it’s close to home in which
Smith is from Clarkston. Emert coached in Walled Lake as well but at Walled
Lake Central but Smith’s name is an interesting one to look at.
Harrison Girls:
The Hawks job is interesting since Allen Walker resigned due
to parent pressure near the end of the season but the Harrison job is toxic
especially when you know you will only have three years to coach at Harrison
before the school closes. The Hawks are in a favorable division and do return
Oliva Perkins and Tedi Pickens but did lose two all-State players in Kristen
Nelson and Amber Stephens.
The question will be will Stefon Wilson coach both the boys
and girls teams or will he stay coaching the Boys???
Another name mentioned could be the Junior Varsity coach
Darlene Taylor. Taylor was the Junior Varsity Coach at Bloomfield Hills under
coach Jeff Rubin at both Andover and Bloomfield Hills. She could be a perfect
fit if Wilson doesn’t coach the varsity team. Taylor brings experience and the
passion to get Harrison ready for the season.
Oxford Boys:
The Girls at Oxford is open but so is the Boys. Dave Brown
served as the interim coach for Stephan Henning whom was forced out after he
got caught in a scandal. The Wildcats do return a ton of talent led by Jordan
Jaden, Ray Levine, and Justin Lavalis and will be in a division in which they
can compete in this upcoming winter.
I think it’s a wide open job search with the early favorite
being Billy Keenest because of the loyalty to the program but experience could
be an issue for him.
Jeff Jayson’s name has been mentioned a ton. Jayson coached
at Waterford Mott and his name was mentioned for other jobs. He was a strong candidate
for the Orion job until coach Jim Manzo got the Dragons job last season. Jayson
led the Corsairs to the 2012 regional finals where they lost to Orion but hasn’t
had the talent at Waterford Mott scene. He would be perfect for the Wildcats
and it could very well be his job to lose.
The dark horse candidate is Tom Risi. Risi coached at Orion
until he resigned in 2015 after a tough 4-16 season and like Jayson, Risi led the
Dragons to the State quarterfinals in 2012 and brings a ton of experience to
the fold.
Oak Park Boys:
The Knights will be looking for their eighth coach in nine
years after Jamie Thomas resigned after the season but this choice that
Athletic Director and Football Coach Greg Carter decides to do must be committed
in stabilizing the Oak Park Boys Basketball program.
The top choice will be Jamie Arnold. Arnold played at Oak
Park and bringing in a former player has done well for their high school Ala Manure’s
like Shay Lewis at Rochester Adams for the Girls Basketball team. He could be a
good choice for the team.
Another possible candidate would be Al Katalla whom coached
Varsity at Oak Park before until 2007. Katalla has coached in the sub varsity
roles of the program ever since but he could be the one that could bring stability
to a program that really needs it in the worst way possible.
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