When New Prairie High School was looking to find the next individual to be its boys basketball coach, all it had to do was look down the bench.
Tuesday afternoon, the New Prairie School Board unanimously approved Tim Scott as its next boys basketball coach.
Scott replaces Chad Cripe, who stepped down to become head coach at East Noble High School in Kendallville.
“(Scott) has done a great job in his teaching capacity,” New Prairie Superintendent Jim Dermody told the Board. “After a long series of interviews and reference checks and more interviews and reference checks it has been the determination of the high school administration which I support that I recommend Tim Scott to be our next basketball coach.”
Following his hiring, Scott addressed the board.
“I am very excited about this,” Scott said. “This was something that was not in my long term plans. I got involved in the basketball program and I loved it and I love the guys and it means a great to deal to me. You will definitely get my best effort and I am hoping that effort and the effort of the boys can take us on the path that we have been going. I am just thrilled for this opportunity.” His resume speaks volumes for the success he has had in his coaching career.
*Served the past five seasons as an assistant coach on Cripe’s staff and has coached the junior varsity team for four years and freshmen team for two.
*Coached girls basketball for 10 years at Anderson, Michigan City and New Prairie. He served as an assistant coach at Anderson in 1994 when it reached The Final Four. He led Michigan City to a sectional title and regional runner-up finish in 1997.
*Was a varsity assistant football coach at Lafayette Harrison High School, highlighted in 1992 when Harrison won the Class 4A state title.
*Compiled a 127-29 record (.814 winning percentage) as New Prairie softball coach, highlighted by a Class 3A state runner-up finish in 2006.
Ideas in Motion Media was the only media outlet at Tuesday’s meeting and Scott talked afterwards about being named New Prairie’s 13th all-time boys basketball coach.
“When I was named the coach of the softball team, there wasn’t even an interview,” Scott said. “For this, I thought long and hard and talked to my family. There were several interviews and this was a huge deal and being a part of it the last five years was special to be in the program. My kids have been through it and it has been kind of like a family deal, school deal all combined and to be able to lead it is absolutely huge.”
When Scott resigned as softball coach, he wanted to spend more time with his family. When Cripe resigned, he thought the time was right to come back as a head coach.
“When looking at it, I started looking at what was best for the boys,” Scott said. “Chad left and I like our system, but there will be a few tweaks involved and I thought I could be the best thing for the boys. We came in and told them coach was leaving and we had them fill out a ballot and it came out unanimous for me.”
Scott credits his success throughout his coaching career to a couple of factors.
“I have always been fortunate to have a lot of talent where I have been,” he said. “That talent has come in and has been willing to work hard. And I think we have some talented boys that are willing to work hard. My job is to get the fundamentals down and get them organized and I think their talent and desire will take over. We’re a little light on numbers. I wish we had a little more depth and a little more height. But I think the big thing is we’ve done a lot of things this summer and we need a little more help to carry it on. And depth is going to be our big issue.”
Scott said he will stress his feeder system coaches to teach fundamentals, teaching basics of the program and building each year until players reach the varsity level.
Scott’s goals for the program each year include contending for both sectional and Northern State Conference titles. But he also wants to achieve a goal that has eluded every Cougar skipper since 1973 – win the Bi-County.
“I would like to win that Bi-County,” Scott said. “Just because it hasn’t been done for so long and I am kind of tired of hearing about it and sick of looking in the program every year to find the one year that New Prairie did win.”