This upcoming season the Men’s Basketball team will have some changes to the sidelines including a former face.
Assistant Ben Swank will take over as Head Coach Linc Darner’s number one assistant after former assistant Richard Davis stepped down to pursue further opportunities elsewhere.
Also added to the staff was former Moccasin two-year lettermen Seth Evans, who will be the team’s number two assistant coach. Coach Swank said he’s excited to get the season going, but does not envision his duties changing
too much from last year.
“As of right now [I’m involved in] a little more recruiting,” Swank
said. “But Coach Darner has all of the
coaches’ hands involved. It is not a dictatorship
here with Coach Darner, so it has
been a pretty seamless transition.”
For Evans, a former player under Darner, he said that he tried to get away from basketball but he did so unsuccessfully.
“I had two phenomenal years here when I played, it was one of the best times of my life,” Evans said.
Evans can’t stay away from basketball. “I tried to get away from the sport… do different things in the business world but I could not let go of basketball. When I was presented the opportunity to come back I jumped at it,” Evans said.
Evans also was very happy his former teammates welcomed him back with open arms and respect.
“Those kids on the team respected me when I played. When I came in as a coach they looked at me as a coach – not just their buddy when I played with them,” Evans said.
Second-year sophomore forward Stephen Turner also had high praise for both new coaches. “All the coaches bring so much energy to practice and getting us ready for this season,” Turner said. Turner thinks that the coaches bring a mix of pushing the team but they are also able to have a good time.
“It makes practice so much better when you have guys who make you work your butt off but will also have fun which I think will lead to a great season.”
One thing that hasn’t changed for either coach is the
love of the game. “In order to do what we do, we just love the game of basketball,” Swank said. “I think having that love of basketball keeps up our enthusiasm up throughout the season and that’s what leads to our success.”
