Crawfordsville girls basketball has found their next head coach. Joe Ferguson was approved at Tuesday’s school board meeting and will take over the program. This will be Ferguson’s first varsity head coaching job as he has spent time at the junior varsity level at a few different schools including Seeger, Attica, Benton Central and Fountain Central.
“We would like to welcome Joe Ferguson to the Crawfordsville schools and our girls basketball program,” Crawfordsville athletic director Bryce Barton said. “In the interview process, Joe was able to layout a plan for our girls program where you will see a focus on player development and an understanding the game. He knows much time needs to be spent in the gym with our youth and middle school programs. It will be a fun, intense environment for everyone involved. I think he will make an immediate impact on the students he will have in the classroom and the players he will coach.”
Ferguson takes over for Tyler Smith whose contract was not re-newed by the school after this past season. Ferguson noted what stood out to him about Crawfordsville and what made the job enticing to him.
“Crawfordsville is a good school and a good community first and foremost,” he said. “I’m familiar with the area and it’s a place that in West Central Indiana I’ve grown up in. It seems like a very good place for me to start my varsity coaching career.”
Ferguson will be taking over an Athenian team that is still in search of its first winning season since 2014-15. A year ago the Athenians went 7-16 in Smith’s final season.
As Barton mentioned, Ferguson ability to develop a program from the ground up is something that was a strong straight of his. Being able to work at the junior varsity level, he was able to witness first hand and play a key role in player development.
“I’ve had the pleasure of being under five different head coaches in my career and really see how they mold a program,” Ferguson said. “Whether it be their youth programs or summer camps, I’ve been able to gather all of that information an use it to the best of my ability. It comes down to getting kids in the gym and relate the game of basketball to real life.”
When it comes down to it, Ferguson knows the importance a basketball community being able to come together and take pride in the team that they support. That for him is the first goal as he begins his coaching career with the Athenians.
“I want to build a program that people can support and grow to love and have a connection with,” he said. “Basketball is life here in Indiana and my job is to have the community say positive things about this team and be proud to come out and watch these girls. When a team goes on a deep post-season run the community really comes out on shows their support. My overall and top goal though is just to be able to impact as many kids as I can whether that be from teaching or coaching.”