Boys basketball coaching changes

As usual, many area schools have undergone boys high school varsity basketball coaching changes. Here are many of the them:

Bellbrook: Perry Caldwell resigned after 14 seasons as head coach and 22 with the Golden Eagles; succeeded by Donnie Tate, who is in his first season as a head coach and most recently was an assistant at Carroll (2014-16).

Bellefontaine: Jason Calton succeeds Henry Stolly, who resigned after nine seasons as the Chieftains' boys coach to succeed Brian Hogan as Bellefontaine's girls coach.

Catholic Central: Cody Sarensen (Lancaster) succeeds Mitch McCurdy, the Irish coach for just one season.

Coldwater: Former Cavaliers girls coach Nick Fisher succeeds Mike Bruns. Fisher was an assistant with the boys the last two seasons.

Dixie: Chris Tipton succeeds Isaiah Williams.

Graham: Julian Grasso succeeds Mike Smart. Grasso was an assistant at Fairmont the previous eight seasons.

Greenon: Kevin Taylor succeeds Scott Smith, who refuted accusations by parents directed at him last spring. Taylor is a Greenon grad.

Greenville: Kyle Joseph succeeds Mike Bashore, who led the Green Wave to their first league title in 60 yards at the GWOC North champs in 2015.

Houston: John Willoughby resigned following a long and successful run to succeed Andy Slaughter at Sidney.

Mechanicsburg: Tyler Craig succeeds Matt Siegel.

Milton-Union: Mike Piatt succeeds Rusty Berner, who resigned after four seasons. Mike Piatt was most recently a Chaminade Julienne assistant and former Tipp interim boys hoop coach.

Minster: Michael McClurg was promoted to succeed Mike Lee after assisting the past three seasons. Lee resigned after 23 seasons as the program's all-time wins leader (314).

Parkway: Doug Hughes succeeds Rick Hickman, who resigned along with football coach Dan Cairns and AD Doug Hughes in a mass exodus.

Ponitz: Steve Pittman succeeds Dwayne Hansbro, who was not renewed after just one season. "Pit" is a longtime former assistant for Darnell Hoskins at Springfield and Thurgood Marshall.

Preble Shawnee: Dale Spitler, Jr. succeeds Roger Ellis.

Sidney: John Willoughby resigned at Houston to succeed Andy Slaughter at Sidney.

Thurgood Marshall: Shawn McCullough succeeds Darnell Hoskins. McCullough previously was head coach at Stivers and also was an assistant for Hoskins at Thurgood. Hoskins succeeds Mark Baker at Middletown. Baker is now the Dayton Public Schools AD, succeeding Jonas Smith.

Versailles: Travis Swank was promoted to succeed Scott McEldowney, who resigned after a 10-year run (156-80), including a D-III state runner-up in 2013.

Yellow Springs: Bobby Crawford succeeds Steve Grasso, who left to become an assistant for his brother Julian Grasso at Graham.

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