Minster names Wiss

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MINSTER — Mike Wiss has always been front and center during the high school baseball season, his Minster teams annually among the best in the area and the state.

But when it comes to his basketball coaching, he’s been in the background, despite enormous success.

Well, no more.

Minster announced Thursday that Wiss has been named the new head girls basketball coach, replacing a legend in Nann Stechschulte, who he assisted for the past 19 seasons. Stechschulte stepped down after 27 years at Minster and over 500 victories in her career, and when it came down to it, Wiss couldn’t walk away from the tradition she built.

“I told myself I could do it,” said Wiss, referring to coaching two sports where one follows right after the other. “The biggest hesitation came because of the months of April, May and June. The individual instruction and a lot of open gyms take place in April and May, and I was never a big part of that as an assistant because of baseball.

“I felt that during the season, from October to March, I could handle that,” he went on. “The spring was obviously the issue. Could I do that and be the varsity baseball coach at the same time? To do that, you have to have the people to help you. And that is still a work in progress. And it will probably stretch me pretty thin, so you have to have a good support system at home.”

Wiss did an amazing job of getting players ready for Stechschulte at the varsity level, and his 19-year record as the girls junior varsity coach borders on unbelievable. He was 334-47 for a remarkable .877 winning percentage.

If you take away the success in girls basketball at the school, the wealth of talent returning next season, and some good players in the lower grades, there would still be a big reason Wiss wanted the job.

“After spending 19 years with the girls program, I respect Nann, learned a lot from her, and enjoyed the places girls basketball went under her coaching,” he said. “Through all that, you start to feel an allegiance to the girls. A sense that this is very important to then. And you get to a point where you get selfish — you put this amount of time in and you want to keep it going.

“The girls trust me,” he continued. “I’ve always had good relationships with the girls I’ve coached, and having that with the kids is a huge part of coaching.”

He feels like he’s learned from the best.

“I spent three years with Mike Lee and the boys, 19 with Nann, and also spent time with Mike Ernst when he was JV (boys) coach,” he said. “I learned basketball from them. And over the past 19 seasons with Nann, she’s allowed me to coach. I can remember 19 years ago when I made the move from boys to girls, I just wanted a whistle and to help coach. She allowed me to be a coach. I appreciate what she’s done for the program, and I know it had to be a difficult decision for her to step down.”

Minster finished 21-5 in the season just concluded, and only two seniors will graduate from that team. So there is a strong nucleus coming back. And his JV team was 19-1, and the freshman team 16-1.

“I want to carry on what Nann has built,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with having good relationships with the people I coach, the coaches, and the parents of the girls. I’m truly looking forward to it and hoping it works.”

He’s a proven winner — his Minster baseball teams have won 366 games and two state championships during his tenure.

Wiss
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2016/03/web1_Wiss-Mike.jpgWiss
Steps in as head girls basketball coach

By Ken Barhorst

[email protected]

Reach Ken Barhorst at 937-538-4818

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