Nicholas Pfeifer named Joplin High School boys basketball coach

Jun. 9—Nicholas Pfeifer was named the next head coach of the Joplin High School boys basketball team on Friday.

Pfeifer previously served as the head freshman basketball coach. He's also a physical education and health teacher at JHS. Last year was his first year with the school district.

"It means a lot; I'm very excited," Pfeifer said. "I coached freshmen last year and that was a good group to be with. The staff at Joplin is tremendous to work with. I'm ready to get to work."

He will be taking over for Bronson Schaake, who led the Eagles the past two seasons. Schaake went 36-18 overall and won the Class 6 District 5 opener both seasons before falling to Nixa in the second round both times.

"Coach Schaake got this program moving in the right direction, and we're thankful for that," Pfeifer said.

Senior All Wright will be a key component to Joplin's 2023-24 season. Wright led the team in scoring as a junior. Pfeifer looks to use each player to mesh with Wright's abilities.

"That's the key, to utilize all the talent," Pfeifer added. "(Wright's) a great talent that anyone would look forward to coach. But it's all about the program. We want to focus on doing what's best for Joplin basketball."

Coach sees that being a day-to-day mentality that is inclusive of everyone. Things such as the youth camp that has been going on this summer, as well as building up the middle school and high school programs. He envisions a process of learning the game from top to bottom, and getting everyone moving in the same direction.

Prior to coming to Joplin, Pfeifer was the head varsity basketball coach and a social studies teacher at Erie High School in Erie, Kansas, from 2012 to 2022. He also taught at Carthage High School from 2009 to 2012. Pfeifer is from Carthage originally.

"I was at Erie for 10 years," he said. "Those were 10 really great years in a great community."

During his time at Erie High School, Pfeifer led the team to two league championships, three 15-plus winning seasons, one 21-win season, and back-to-back appearances at state for the first time in 27 years. He was named Sports in Kansas Regional Coach of the Year in 2020, and the Parsons Sun Coach of the Year in 2021.

"(Coming to Joplin was) a new opportunity and a new challenge. It was a tremendous opportunity to lead a high-level program," he added.

Part of the challenge he wants to see his team take on is the understanding of the hard work, commitment and dedication it will take to do what they want to do: compete for championships.

Pfeifer holds a bachelor's degree in secondary education/social studies from Newman University, and a master's in educational leadership from Emporia State University.