John Barhanovich is returning as head coach of the Cascade High School girls basketball team. Barhanovich served as the Bruins’ coach for eight seasons during the 1990s.
Barhanovich still teaches at Cascade and worked with the girls team this past season on an informal basis.
“It was a combination of a number of things,” he said of his return. “I’ve thought about maybe getting back into coaching but it never was an issue that got to the forefront of jobs I was (looking at). I was interested. I got the opportunity to help last year with the Cascade girls, not on a regular basis, but helped out going to practice occasionally and thoroughly enjoyed working with the girls in that program. When the job opened up, I reached out to the administration.
“I’m a teacher and I’ve been a teacher at Cascade for a long time. I continued to teach here after I resigned the first time to coach my own kids’ teams. I’ve been here and followed the program. I’m excited to get back in and see what I can do now that I’m approaching the end of the teaching career and seeing if I can do something with my basketball experience coaching this group.”
Barhanovich was 90-89 in his first stint as the Bruins’ head coach, including a 55-22 mark over his final three seasons.
He returned to coaching in 2004, taking over as the girls coach at Archbishop Murphy High School. He helped the Wildcats reach the 2009 Class 2A state championship game before stepping down in 2011.
“John brings a wealth of basketball coaching knowledge and experience to the program,” Everett School District athletic director Robert Polk said. “He also engages students in a positive, energetic manner that makes them want to be a part of his program. We are excited to have John come on board to lead the girls basketball program.”
A basketball coach at heart, Barhanovich said that when he attended games he found himself plotting strategies and halftime adjustments in his mind.
“There’s a lot of the stuff that you don’t miss, but then there are things that you really miss,” he said. “I really missed getting a team ready to play a game and then going in and seeing if what you taught them can help them win a game.”
Barhanovich takes over a Cascade program that has struggled in recent years. The Bruins finished 1-19 last year and are 12-87 over the past five seasons.
The new coach said he will stress one thing in particular: defense.
“I have a system that I believe in, that I used when I was here at Cascade first and then at Archbishop Murphy,” Barhanovich said. “Any of my ex-players or parents will tell you that one of the things that we like to do is play pretty good defense. I’ve always had a goal that … if we can hold an opponent to under 40 (points) or around 40, we have a chance to win the game.”
Barhanovich has met with the returning players at a couple open gyms and said he is excited for the season to get underway in mid-November.
“I think I’m a fairly positive guy and maybe I can get the kids to see some of the little positive things that happen in basketball,” he said. “You don’t have to win a state title to enjoy playing the game of basketball and hopefully I’ll be able to bring something so that the kids will enjoy playing the game and competing.
“The juices are flowing after being on the court a couple of days. I’m looking forward to it and I hope the kids are as well. It should be a fun time and I hope the players in the program will also see it as a good time and learn about basketball.”
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