Coal Ridge names new boys basketball coach

By Jeff Caspersen
April 24, 2008

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Paul Harvey Click to Enlarge Browse and Buy Post Independent Photos

PEACH VALLEY, Colorado - As a varsity assistant coach with the Grand Valley boys basketball program, a quick-witted Paul Harvey would often play the good cop to head coach Scott Kiburis' bad cop.

"He keeps it light when I'm getting after the kids," Kiburis joked, "but he also takes it seriously."

Harvey knows a thing or two about ruling with an iron fist and velvet glove, and he'll bring that well-honed, balanced approach to the Coal Ridge High School boys basketball program as its new varsity head coach.

"His personality will dominate the scene there, in my opinion," said Kiburis, who with Harvey on his side, directed the Cardinals to the Class 2A state title in 2007.

Now, Harvey will be scribbling X's and O's to beat Kiburis and Grand Valley in the cutthroat 3A Western Slope League.

"(Scott) told me (Monday) he's not looking forward to coaching against me," Harvey said. "(All the players) are giving me a hard time right now, especially Colton (Cowan). I think they all understand, because of my family and wanting to move up in my career. Colton keeps telling me they'll win by 100 against us."

Taking the opening at Coal Ridge, a school in its third year of existence, is a homecoming of sorts for Harvey, a 1996 Rifle High School graduate and New Castle native. He, his wife and young daughter, who turns 2 in July, reside in Silt. The couple are expecting another child in June - June 28, to be exact.

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking for the diehard Denver Broncos fan.

"It's Johnny Elway's birthday," Harvey joked.

On top of his new hoops duties, Harvey will also settle into a seventh-grade social studies job at Riverside Middle School after spending the entirety of his career as a popular high school teacher.

Coal Ridge athletic director Rick Schmitz noted that Harvey came just as highly recommended for his work in the classroom as for his work on the basketball court.

"Gosh, everybody we talked to spoke highly of his teaching and coaching roles," said Schmitz, also the Titans' girls basketball coach. "He has good relationships with students, with his players. He has a lot of good ideas and he's a very enthusiastic people person."

Bringing the Cards' attack

Growing up in New Castle back before Coal Ridge existed, Harvey always wished the town had its own high school. That, he said, adds sentimental value to his new gig.

He's looking forward to taking ownership of a program rife with potential.

"I'm really excited about the talent, the kids there," Harvey said. "There are a lot of good kids and they work hard. I just think our style of basketball (at Grand Valley), playing fast and up-tempo, will fit really well. I've seen these kids play since they were freshmen. I know most of the kids."

Harvey said he'll base his coaching system at Coal Ridge on what he and Kiburis used at Grand Valley - the dribble-drive motion offense.

DDM, most notably employed by John Calipari at the University of Memphis, a high points-yielding offensive attack that features four perimeter players, centers on dribble penetration and relegates the post player to the weak side of the lane, creating space for said penetration. As he barrels toward the basket, the penetrator decides whether to kick the ball out to a perimeter player for an open 3, dish to the post for an easy bucket or drop in a layup off the glass.

The end result: layups and 3-pointers en masse.

"I think it'll work really well with (Andy) Smedra and (Eric) Schmitz," Harvey explained. "We'll have another offense, which will be kind of a flex to free up the posts - (Alex) Klein and (Evan) Wagstrom."

Harvey's thrilled to have a big man in the 6-foot-7 Klein.

"He's the first kid I've ever had to look up to," quipped the 6-5 Harvey.

"He'll finally have the opportunity to throw the stuff in he wants to," Kiburis said of Harvey's chance to lead.

A clean slate

Harvey is stepping into a program that underwent its fair share of adversity during the 2007-08 season, during which Coal Ridge fired its first and only coach, Mike Cox, after an altercation with a player.

That isn't of major concern for Harvey, who's looking to give the Titans a fresh start.

"I just want to come in and try to give the players a clean slate," he said. "What's in the past is in the past. I have a real positive attitude and that's going to help. It's still basketball and it's still fun. They're going to remember it for the rest of their lives. I'm excited to go. I'm very ready."