 | | | Drew McDonald Photo Kevin Nguyen
| | | | | | The new Miramonte High School boys' basketball coach, Drew McDonald, is familiar with Mats' basketball, working with the boys' and girls' programs as an assistant coach. Next season, McDonald will take on the new leadership role as head coach.
"I am very excited about resuming coaching as a head coach as, although it is a huge amount of additional work, it is an opportunity to create something, rather than helping someone else execute their vision," McDonald said.
The first order of business was to put together a staff of assistants. Mike Miller, described by McDonald as "a fantastic instructor" will join Steven Dyer, an assistant from last year.
McDonald's relationship with Miramonte started long before his involvement with the coaching staff. He was a three-sport athlete for the Matadors in high school, playing water polo, basketball and swimming. "Basketball being the sport that filled the time between the other two," McDonald said.
His love for basketball developed when he began coaching youth basketball at the CYO level 12 years ago. He also started Pure Hoops, an AAU club that filled the gap locally for players moving on to AAU travel teams.
His coaching career at Miramonte started six years ago when he assumed the head coaching position of the junior varsity team. His coaching career has been filled with adjusting from the head coach to assistant coach positions, moving from JV coach to assistant boys' varsity to assistant girls' varsity.
McDonald's knowledge of the program and the players has allowed him to jump in with both feet this season and he hopes to compete in a tough Diablo Foothill Athletic League. He takes the reins of a team that was one game away from going to the NCS finals last season and returns four-of-five starters.
Still, McDonald knows that competition will be tough. "Dublin returns everyone and is probably the most talented group, and Campolindo returns an excellent team and adds some talented underclassmen," McDonald said.
The team has had several open gyms and has been busy throughout the summer getting to know each other by playing in summer leagues and travel tournaments.
"The summer is the time that we hope to give the motivated kids a chance to improve themselves and to give the team the underpinning of how we want them to play together," said McDonald.
This will be McDonald's first year in many that he has not been involved in coaching a team with a McDonald playing for him. He had the opportunity to coach his son, Spenser, and his daughter, Devon.
He said it will be different, but his coaching will remain the same. "As a coach I want to teach and I want to deal with the athletes as honestly and directly as I can. At the varsity level, the athletes know they don't get a trophy for showing up any more and my experience has been that they know you're there to make them better and to expect their best."
Come next November, local prep basketball fans should look forward to another competitive year at Miramonte.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA