Published: June 17, 2008 11:20 pm            

Clinton Central’s AD moves to Western to coach girls hoops

RUSSIAVILLE — Dave Merica was ready to return to the classroom and to the basketball bench following a stint as an athletic director. He thinks he found the right opportunity.

The Western school board approved the hirings of Merica as girls basketball coach and Dennis Crum as the volleyball coach Tuesday. Merica will lead a fourth-grade classroom and Crum will work as an eighth-grade language arts teacher.

Merica comes to Western from Clinton Central, where he served as athletic director in the 2007-08 school year. Previously, he coached boys basketball at Sheridan and University for a combined four years. In addition, he coached softball at South Adams for three years right out of college.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for me,” Merica said of moving to Western. “It’s a program that has been solid and there are a lot of good kids in the program right now, and a lot of good kids coming up. It’s a good situation for me.

“I also looked at the teaching opportunity at Western, which is one of the elite schools in the area. It’s a place where I want my kids to go to school. I have a 5-year-old who will be starting kindergarten and an 8-year-old who will be in second grade.”

Merica, who played baseball at Butler, spent 12 years as a teacher and a coach before becoming an athletic director last year.

“My father was a retired athletic director and my brother is the athletic director at North Montgomery and I thought, ‘I guess it’s in the blood, and I guess it’s time for me to be an athletic director,’” he said. “It was a great year at Clinton Central. I worked with a lot of great people, but my thing is in the classroom and coaching basketball and what a great opportunity at Western.”

Western athletic director Rick Fields is just as thrilled to have Merica coming on board.

“One of the things that we were really focusing on during our search was to find the perfect fit — not just for varsity girls basketball, but find a quality teacher as well. I think we succeeded on every level,” Fields said. “Dave is a professional in the classroom and he is definitely an excellent basketball coach. He knows the game backward and forward. I’ve had many discussions with him and he knows the game. And he has a passion for the game.

“When he called me up and said he was going to apply, I felt like it was Christmas,” Fields added.

Merica replaces Steve Hoppes, who stepped down following two seasons in order to have more time to follow his daughters’ sports careers in college.

The Panthers went 8-14 last season, snapping a string of four straight winning seasons.

“Coming in, one of the things I am going to stress is transition defense,” Merica said. “I think we have some kids who can score the basketball, it’s just getting back on defense and keeping teams from making easy baskets. We want to work hard and keep positive attitudes.

“I’m excited. We’re going to get started [this morning] at 8 o’clock. I’ll be at open gym to meet the girls and roll the balls out.”

New volleyball coach too

Crum faces a rebuilding job with the volleyball program, which has endured four straight losing seasons including 6-23 in 2007.

Crum comes to Western from Oak Hill.

“His records were off-the-charts good there — 19-15, 28-8, 28-8 and 16-18 in his four seasons,” Fields said. “He is a student of volleyball. He works hard on learning new things. I look forward to him coming in and developing a youth program for volleyball that we sorely need. I fully believe he is the person to put Western volleyball on the map.”

Fields noted Crum, like Merica, is just as impressive in the classroom.

“He asked as many questions about teaching as he did about coaching,” Fields said. “Both of these guys are interested in teaching and being leaders for our school, as well as being excellent coaches. I’m proud of the people I was able to land for these two positions.”

        

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