HS BASKETBALL: Scranton Prep appoints Reagan as boys head coach
May 31—Larry Reagan's passion for coaching has grown during his career as an assistant at Scranton Prep.
Now, it will intensify even more.
Reagan, the longtime assistant and head junior varsity coach, will become the 10th varsity boys basketball coach in the program's 75-year history, the Scranton Prep administration announced Tuesday. The 34-year-old alumnus fills the void left by Andrew Kettel, who resigned following the season, leaving Mountain View as the lone Lackawanna League school still searching for a coach.
"I am happy and extremely grateful to be given this opportunity and for the administration to believe that I am the right person for the job," Reagan said. "I am excited to work with the kids. I am really speechless to a certain extent."
Reagan played for the Cavaliers from 2002 to 2006 under coach John Kopicki. In his senior season, Scranton Prep reached the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals. He attended Temple University and started his coaching career as an assistant to Kettel at Lackawanna Trail.
During that time, the late John Bucci hired Reagan to coach the JB Hoops AAU National Team.
When Kettel accepted the head coaching position at Scranton Prep, Reagan joined him. During Kettel's 10 years with the Cavaliers, the team won eight District 2 championships and had a record of 202-56. Last season, Scranton Prep won the District 2 Class 4A championship and a first-round PIAA game.
Reagan spent several years as the head coach for the junior varsity program, which he did last season. That gives him a head start in transitioning to the head coach position, as he has a strong familiarity with the players.
"I think that is helpful because we can hit the ground running," Reagan said. "There won't be that period of awkwardness where you have to get to know the players and they have to get to know you. I have a good relationship with these guys. It is the offseason now, and it is the perfect time to work on things and build team chemistry. There won't be a week or two where we are adjusting. We are ready to move forward and start to get better with every practice.
"What I am going to focus on will be internal within the team. If we can develop the chemistry and personality I want from this group, the goals will take care of themselves. I want to improve every single day, not just in a basketball sense but as the people these young men are becoming."
In the announcement, the administration lauded Reagan, who works for Joyce Insurance Agency, and looks forward to the future of the Cavaliers program.
"We are excited about coach Reagan's understanding of Prep athletics, both past and present, his vision for the future of Scranton Prep basketball, and the role that he will play in the development of the young men entrusted to him in our program," the administration said in the announcement.
"We believe that Larry's values align perfectly with what Scranton Prep strives to produce in our young men and women. We look forward to seeing the positive impact that he will inevitably have on the culture of our program as he leads Prep basketball into a bright future full of success."
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter
