Over the course of the past week to 10 days, quite a few head basketball coaching jobs have opened up in the 9th Region.
On the boys side, Conner became open last week when Matthew Otte resigned after eight seasons with the team and on Tuesday, the Holmes job opened up after Tony Perkins resigned.
On the girls side, four openings have come forth with one of them already filled. St. Henry was the first to open up after Todd Smart resigned, Dan Trame accepting the role a little over a week later. Beechwood’s Isaac Speicher resigned, Newport Central Catholic’s Dan Albrinck was not retained and Ludlow’s Blake Clary resigned.
Otte won 131 games, three district titles, made a region championship and was KABC 9th Region Coach of the Year twice. He guided a memorable four-year run that produced 79 victories from 2019-23 with three 33rd district championships and four trips to the 9th Region tournament, including a run to the region championship game in 2021.
Perkins guided Holmes the past two seasons. The Bulldogs are still looking for their first trip to the 9th Region tournament since 2015.
Smart led the Crusaders for five seasons and won 69 games, guiding St. Henry to back-to-back 9th Region tournament appearances. They’ve finished 34th District runner-up to Dixie Heights the past two seasons and posted a 15-15 record in the 2023-24 season. In Smart’s first season as head coach, they reached the 9th Region All “A” Classic championship game before losing to Newport Central Catholic.
Speicher was at the helm at Beechwood for three seasons, leading them to 14 wins in the 2022-23 season, the most for the program since the 2013-14 season, when they also won 14 games.
Albrinck spent one season at NewCath, guiding the Thoroughbreds to a 19-12 record and a trip to the 9th Region All “A” Classic championship game.
Clary was with the Ludlow girls the past two seasons, going 33-30 in his tenure.