(Griswold) Matthew Spunaugle’s hire as Griswold boys basketball coach was approved by the school board on Monday.
Spunaugle is an internal hire after recently moving to Griswold and serving as a middle school coach. Spunaugle spoke with KSOM/KS95.7 Sports about his desire to bring the program back. “I’ve always had a love for the game of basketball and working with kids. To be able to bring a program back is a challenge and that was the biggest interest to me.”
The Clarinda native is retired from the U.S. Air Force where he had the opportunity to be around the game. “I retired out of the Air Force and during that time I played basketball. While I was in the Air Force I got an opportunity to coach for one year as a JV coach in Eagle River, Alaska. I’ve also coached high school softball before and all kinds of youth sports as my daughters were growing up.”
Spunaugle says he’s always had a love for the game of basketball and working with kids. He notes the team has seven returning players and a big 8th grade class heading into their freshman year. Spunaugle discusses some of the things he’d like to implement at Griswold. “Last year they had the style of bringing in a lot of the outside game and shooting the three pointers. I would like to work at rebounding and bringing the game back in, maybe more of the traditional style. Work that inside game so we can pop the ball out for an open shot on the outside.”
Spunaugle wants to bring more man-to-man defense back to the program as well. They’ve already signed up for the Harlan summer league and hope to find some other teams to scrimmage along with open gyms.
