Triad sophomore Kane Bailey (4) drives the ball toward the basket during a 2021-2022 game against West Liberty-Salem. Cardinal hoopsters will have a new coach for the 2022-2023 season after the recent resignation of Jason Malone. School officials hope to name the new coach within the next few days, it was reported. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
Triad school officials have apparently covered all the bases during the thorough search for a new boys head basketball coach.
The position recently became vacant with the resignation of Jason Malone.
A total of 14 applicants applied for the job prior to the March 18 deadline.
Of that number, three were brought in for a second round of interviews earlier this week.
Those candidates are Josh Weikart, Adam Moore and Morgan Eades.
Weikart served as Marysville High School’s junior varsity boys coach during the 2021-2022 season.
Moore is currently a middle school boys coach at Triad and was the boys freshman coach with the Cardinals from 2012-2014.
Eades is an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach with Huntsman Elite, which operates out of the Champaign County area.
Eades was also previously a middle school coach at Mechanicsburg.
“We had very good candidates,” Triad superintendent Vickie Hoffman told the Journal-Tribune.
All of the applicants were virtually interviewed via google search by current athletic director Logan Dunn.
“I’m pleased with the quality of our applicants,” Dunn told the newspaper. “They brought a lot of different experience and coaching backgrounds to our search.”
Several of the applicants had current or previous experience as high school head coaches on the boys and/or girls level, it was reported.
Dunn put the candidates through their paces as he had them watch films from Triad’s games during the 2021-2022 season and then fill out scouting reports on the Cardinals and the teams which they played.
The applicants also answered various questions that were posed by the athletic director.
From there, Dunn pared the group down to four candidates.
One of the candidates withdrew his name from consideration, according to Hoffman, due to having secured another position.
The other three were brought in for a second round of interviews.
They went through the hour interview process with two search subcommittees.
The first subcommittee consisted of Dunn and several returning Cardinal basketball players.
The second was composed of district administrators, parents, coaches and a representative from the Triad Junior Basketball Association.
Applicants were not only queried about the sport, but also their overall philosophy on academics and behavior expectations for players and methods of communication with parents, the school and community.
They were also asked about the vision of changes they wish to see within the boys basketball program.
“We want to make sure we make the right selection for the coaching position,” said Dunn. “We want the right person to help elevate the culture within the basketball program and develop the players.”
The Cardinals recently went through a difficult period of three seasons in which they won a total of three games.
The team rebounded for a 9-15 record during the past campaign.
Hoffman said a decision on the new head coach could come within the next few days.