CRESTVIEW — George Stakley, a 1986 Crestview High School graduate, has been named the Bulldogs' head boys basketball coach.
Stakley, who has been the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant the last two years, replaces Greg Watson, who resigned last month to take a job in Alabama.
CHS Principal Dexter Day said a combination of Stakley’s interview and familiarity with the team helped him get the job. “George did a great job in the interview,” Day said. "And another young man that used to play ball here did a great job. But George, right now, is the perfect fit. George knows the kids. He knows the system. We will see how it goes.”
Stakley welcomes the opportunity to coach a Bulldog team that has advanced to Elite Eight the past two seasons. “I’m very excited that we’ve got a lot of returners," he said."Coach (Watson) didn’t leave the cupboard bare. That’s a good thing. I’ll have to step up.”
Stakley said he will infuse his personality and strategies into the program while keeping some things the Bulldogs have done well the past two seasons. “To be honest with you, I’m a defensive-type person, so I’m going to stress defense,” he said. “But offensively, what Coach Watson had, we will use a lot of the stuff we already have and I will add my input on things.”
Day said he hopes that hiring Stakley will send a message to student-athletes that commitment, hard work and loyalty have their rewards.
Stakley hopes to handle the season's high expectations the best way he knows how. “I’m going in stressing discipline and making sure everybody is humble enough to understand where we are trying to go and how we are trying to get there,” he said.
“We’ve got all these JV kids coming up this year to help us. It’s going to be very competitive, and there are going to be some hard cuts (to make the varsity roster), I can tell you that right now."
So what's the big goal?
“I guess the Final Four or bust," Stakley said. "I won’t put it that way, but I am looking forward to the season and the expectations are very high.”
See more about this story in "Related Content" at left
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview High School names new head boys basketball coach