Brian Hunter and Brian Hill have more than a first name in common. They also share ties to Snohomish High School and the desire to take on a unique coaching challenge.
Hunter and Hill have been hired to coach the boys and girls basketball teams, respectively, at Glacier Peak High School.
Glacier Peak, a new Class 3A school in Snohomish, will open next fall. Its sports teams will compete in the Western Conference South Division.
Glacier Peak’s first head hoops coaches have significant connections to Snohomish High.
Hunter, 38, is a 1988 Snohomish graduate who was a guard for the Panthers’ basketball team and played one season at Skagit Valley College. Before taking a year off from coaching this past season, he was the Stanwood High boys team’s head coach for two years. Prior to that he was a Stanwood assistant.
Getting a chance to coach in the community where he once played and went to school is a dream opportunity, Hunter said.
“I’m expecting a huge challenge. There’s no better way to describe that job than challenging, but it’s also exciting,” said Hunter.
Glacier Peak teams won’t have seniors in their inaugural year but will play varsity opponents. Next school year’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors in the district who live south of the Snohomish River will attend the school.
“It’s a daunting task, without a doubt,” said Hunter, whose two-year record at Stanwood was 26-19.
At Glacier Peak, Hunter said he hopes to create the same intense, community-supported hoops atmospheres he experienced at Snohomish and Stanwood.
Hill, Glacier Peak’s girls basketball coach, feels the same way.
“I’m really excited about starting a new program and trying to build a tradition very similar to Snohomish,” said Hill, 35.
Hill knows all about the Panthers’ history of success. The 1990 Federal Way High grad was an assistant under Snohomish girls basketball coach Ken Roberts the past three years. Hill, who coached the Snohomish sophomore team, said he learned valuable lessons working with Roberts.
“Ken has been a great mentor to me. He’s a phenomenal coach,” Hill said.
Hill has been a high school head coach before. He guided the Hazen girls in Renton from 2003-2005.
His previous coaching experience included assistant stints with the Mount Si boys (1999-2002) and the Centralia girls (2002-2003).
Hill said only one player from Snohomish High’s 2007-2008 varsity girls squad will play for Glacier Peak next school year: 6-foot forward Marjie Heard. This past season Heard, an energetic sophomore, averaged 7.8 points and about seven rebounds for the Panthers, who a month ago placed seventh at the 4A state tournament.
“It’s going to be nice having her,” Hill said. “Starting out a new team and a new program, trying to get leadership, I think a lot of the team will look to her. She’s been to state twice and she knows what it takes to be part of a winning (program).”
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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