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Boys basketball: Cowboys hire former Central head coach Kit Pehl
By Justin Thomas, jthomas@starlocalnews.com
If you can't beat em, hire em.
That's exactly what Coppell's boys basketball team did as the Cowboys have hired former Keller Central head coach Kit Pehl to the same position.
Pehl takes over for Brad Chasteen, who resigned from the post two months ago following 16 seasons on the bench.
"We were in an enviable position in that we interviewed six candidates for the position and they were all very strong," said John Crawford, Coppell athletic director. "But coach Pehl stood out above the rest. He just led his team to a district championship and we were really impressed with the ability he has to build relationships, relate to the athletes and work with the parents. And he puts a big emphasis on the fundamentals of the game."
Pehl also has ties to the area, having spent one year coaching at Coppell Middle School West and one season on staff at the high school under Chasteen. He then made a stop at Keller, where he was an assistant for two seasons before opening the program at Central. Growing up in San Antonio, Pehl graduated from Baylor.
"Having worked at Coppell before, this feels like I'm coming home," Pehl said. "Not to take anything away from any of the other districts I have worked in, but to be in a situation at a program that is so academically sound and has athletic excellence is a blessing. This is a great school, a great community and I couldn't ask for a better place to raise my children."
Pehl has two sons, ages four and six.
Having previously coached on Chasteen's staff, Pehl knows the drive to succeed has already been instilled in the players he will be coaching.
"I'm just hoping to maintain the foundation that has been established," he said. "I've had the opportunity to be around the program and have scouted Coppell my last two years at Central. The work ethic and basketball IQ of the players is exciting. And the fact that coach Chasteen was able to leave on his own terms left the program in a good position that didn't require an overhaul."
Pehl added that his coaching style is to adapt to the talent of the roster.
"From a coaching standpoint, I like to be flexible," he said. "I like to mold the team around our strengths and weaknesses and don't really have a system that we try to fit the players into."
Pehl has already begun his duties coaching the youth basketball camp at the high school and was interviewing assistant coaching candidates Tuesday.
"Having started so late in the summer, it's been pretty taxing," he said. "But because of the notoriety and the positive connotations of the program, the interest level has been great. We had a smaller window to take care of it but I'm hoping to have a bow on everything by the end of the week."
On the girls side, Crawford said Coppell has recommended Ami Neff as its hire to the school board and is just waiting approval. The next board meeting is scheduled for July 26.
Neff would come to Coppell from Humble, where she led the Lady Wildcats for three seasons, including a 21-9 record and second-place finish in District 18-4A in 2010-11.
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