New coach to lead Starfire girls hoops
Wayne Kreiger has announced his retirement as head coach of the girls basketball program at South Adams.
The announcement was made earlier this week, and the Starfires have already begun the process of searching for the next leader of the program.
While noting the positive impact that Kreiger made on the team, Jason Arnold, the athletic director at South Adams, said that Kreiger made the decision with his family in mind.
“Coach decided it was time to retire and start enjoying more free time with his family again, which I completely understand and respect,” Arnold said. “Coach is a great person, was awesome to work with, and did a terrific job being a mentor for the girls and leader of our team,”
The Starfires were 35-36 in three seasons under Kreiger, whose head-coaching career concludes with 623 victories. South Adams ended this past season with a 7-16 record. The team was 3-3 in the Allen County Athletic Conference.
Playing on their home court, the Starfires reached the sectional semi-finals after a 51-39 win over Adams Central on January 30th.
Krieger was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Arnold said there has already been interest from prospective candidates about the job opening. “I received a couple of applications (Thursday), but I will not start meeting with candidates till after spring break,” said Arnold. The next head coach of the Starfires will have the challenge of having to replace Macy Pries, the all-time scoring leader in the history of South Adams basketball. The team did receive a lot of production beyond the outgoing senior class, however, providing plenty of optimism in the group that will return to the Stardome next year. Arnold said he wants the next head coach to be a good “fit” for the team. Arnold stated, “The biggest thing I am looking for in a replacement is someone who we feel will be the best fit for our program.” Applications for the position can be found at www.starfireathletics.com. Those interested can also contact Arnold at jarnold@southadams.k12. in.us to either apply or learn more about the role.