After 10 years of coaching collegiately, Kevin Hackerott will coach at the high school level.
Hackerott became the new head coach for the Wellington high school girls basketball team. He was hired to replace Luke Smith, who tendered his resignation after three years at the helm.
"It's an opportunity for my wife and I to get closer to our families," Hackerott said. "We have three young daughters, and wanted them to see their grandparents more."
Hackerott comes to Wellington after being the head women's basketball coach at Cameron University. He was head coach for three years from April 2006 to March 2008.
He was also the head women's basketball coach at Pratt Community College from May 2003 to March 2006 and also served as an assistant athletic director.
His head coaching career began at Highland Community College in 2002.
Wellington Head High School Principal Dale Liston said he had 10 to 12 applicants for the head coaching job and narrowed the search to three. He, Wellington athletic director Brian Buchanan, and assistant principal Joe Jacobs then narrowed the search to three candidates.
"We felt of the three people we interviewed, his experience and background made him the best fit for the job," Liston said. "We're excited to have Mr. Hackerott in the system here at Wellington High School."
Hackerott will be coming into the girls program during a rather ambiguous time. The Wellington varsity squad struggled last season by winning two games. However, there appears to be a good nucleus in the middle school. Wellington seventh and eighth grade girls both won their Pioneer League tournaments in 2008.
He, in turn, had a trying year at Cameron, which is located in Lawton, Okla. The Aggies were 4-22 overall and 1-11 in the Lone Star Conference North Division last season. He and his assistant coach Andrew Belsky tendered their resignation after the season was over.
His earlier stint with Pratt was much more successful. His teams averaged 17 victories a year, while establishing 20 new school records in the process. In his first season, he guided the team to one of the best records in school history, finishing 20-12 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference post-season tournament.
During the 2003-04 season, the team also attained the school's first ever women's basketball ranking, climbing as high as No. 13 in the NJCAA Division I Top 25 poll.
Wellington fans may remember Lyndsey Davis, the school's leading scorer of all time, played for Hackerott during her freshman year at Pratt.
"I spent many nights in the Wellington gymnasium while recruiting her," Hackerott said.
As far as his collegiate career, Hackerott reflects back with mixed emotions.
"Obviously, I've seen great success and not so great success," Hackerott said. "With basketball, sometimes it's a lot about luck and the circumstances you are in. Sometimes there are things out of your control. Your top player gets injured, or someone just suddenly quits."
Hackerott is currently looking for a house in Wellington and expects to move here by mid-July. He expects to teach some math and P.E. classes, but is not quite sure exactly what he'll be teaching at the moment.
Originally from Cimarron High School, Hackerott would go on to play basketball at St. Mary's of the Plains in Dodge City. He eventually caught the coaching bug, after spending a couple of years selling insurance.
He started his career as a head coach at Highland Community College before going to Pratt and Cameron.
Hackerott calls basketball a simple game,
"The one great thing about basketball is no matter how complex you make it out to be, the ultimate goal is to score more baskets than the other team," Hackerott said. "That's why I go with the philosophy of 'Keep It Simple Stupid.'"
Hackerott has three children, aged 9, 6 and 3.
"The thing about Division II basketball is you’re on the road so much," Hackerott said. "I'm looking forward to spending more time with the family."
Hackerott said the key to winning is practice but there is a happy medium.
“I noticed with a lot of players who got to the collegiate level, they were burned out. Basketball has to be fun.”
Wellington, Kan. —
