Lynnwood High School has hired a new boys varsity basketball coach.
Casey Tucker will take command of the Royals for the 2019-20 season, replacing Bobby Hinnenkamp, who resigned after four seasons to spend more time with his family, according to a press release Friday from Lynnwood athletic director Rob McMains.
Tucker, 30, was an assistant at The Northwest School, a 1A program in Seattle, last season after spending four years as an assistant at his alma mater, Edmonds-Woodway High School.
“When I was looking at my first head-coaching opportunity, I wanted to make sure I found the right fit, and in talking to folks around the league, I found that Lynnwood was a great fit for me,” Tucker said. “Lynnwood kids play hard, and I’ve already been talking with Bobby and he’s been a great help in the transition and helping me get to know the guys. It’s been a quick turnaround, getting in open gyms and finding out what makes the guys go, but it’s been fun.”
Tucker earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Washington State University in 2011, and while in Pullman he served as a student manager for the men’s basketball team for four seasons.
Tucker said his desire to coach came from observing the culture created by former Cougars coach Tony Bennett, who won a national championship with Virginia in March.
“He did things the right way, and the culture he created really stuck with me,” Tucker said.
While completing his Master’s of Business Admininstration degree at Seattle University, he was a graduate assistant under then-Redhawks coach Cameron Dollar.
“I’ve been surrounded by great mentors who related well to players and have tremendous passion, not just for basketball, but created a culture and creating relationships with players.”
Tucker will be coaching at Lynnwood in addition to his role as a sales executive at Slalom, a Seattle business and technology consulting firm. He’s currently living in Seattle.
“I have a great boss down there that knows this is my passion and has given me the flexibility to do what I want to do,” he said.
In his early evaluations of the Royals, who finished 8-12 overall last season and 7-6 in Wesco 3A, Tucker sees a team that can hang its hat on the defensive side of the ball.
“We can be a tough, defensive-minded team that can let our defense fuel our offense,” he said. “On offense, I want to get up and down the court and I want our guys to have the confidence and freedom to make plays. The guys are on board with that, and it’s been fun to watch how they’ve shared the ball so far.”
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