Boss ready to take charge of Tigers’ program
Chris Boss likes to stay active. In recent years, Boss has proven that at the Tokay High campus. Now he’ll be busier as the new Tokay High boys basketball coach.
Boss takes over for Travis Okamoto, who resigned over the summer after three seasons to become the new River City High boys basketball coach in West Sacramento. Okamoto, who lives in Sacramento, is entering his third year teaching English at Lodi Middle School.
“I’m excited about what we can get done, and where the program is going,” Boss said. “It was a relief for the student-athletes that the decision was made.”
Tokay High Athletic Director Michael Holst said seven people applied for the coaching position, and three that included Boss were interviewed. Last Friday, Holst notified Boss, who had been Okamoto’s lead assistant coach for the last three seasons, of the decision, and announced it on Twitter an hour later.
“Coach Boss has been an integral part to our basketball program since 2014,” said Holst of Boss. “He has proven himself to be a hard-working and knowledgeable coach, and we were impressed with his vision for the program during the interview process. He will allow us to stay consistent in fundamentals and scheme going into this season as well.”
Boss, who is a campus supervisor at Tokay, said he told some of his players at St. Mary’s-Tokay football game that night. On Monday, minus current Tokay football, cross-country and water polo student-athletes who are in season and planning to go out for basketball next month, Boss held conditioning drills for returning players on the varsity, frosh-soph and freshmen teams that run through next Monday. Boss said that there were an estimated 42 out for all three teams. Practices begin on Nov. 6.
Over the summer, Boss coached the Tokay summer boys basketball team. At that time, Boss figured his role would remain the same until Okamoto announced his departure.
“We had been working so hard during the off-season,” Boss said.
Okamoto added, “He works real hard. He approached the (assistant coach’s spot) as if it was a full-time job job.”
On offense, Boss plans to continue to run the motion offense that relies on quickness. On defense, Tokay plans to run mostly man-to-man that will be mixed in with zone sets.
Currently, Boss is the Tokay High boys water polo coach. The Tigers are 3-4 in the Tri-City Athletic League and 5-8 overall, counting Thursday’s 7-5 win over Tracy at the Tigers’ pool. For the last three years, Boss has also coached the Tokay freshman baseball team.