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Hernando Today

HHS Tabs Hoops Coach

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: July 26, 2008

This time, Hernando High hopes it has found the right man for the job.

Since Jeff Laing stepped down in early March 2007, ending his six-year tenure on the bench, the Leopards have had more coaches (three) than wins (one).

First the school turned to alumnus Tony Vasquez, one of the all-time leading scorers in program history.

However, he resigned before the 2007-08 school year even began after an arrest for indecent exposure. He was acquitted of that charge in April.

Needing a replacement at the last minute, the school hired Fox Chapel Middle School coach Chris Ridenour.

Hernando lost its first 23 games and finished 1-25 under Ridenour, who was not retained and has since become athletic director at Explorer K-8, a new school set to open next month.

So a school already with a new principal, athletic director, football coach, weightlifting coach, baseball coach and girl's basketball coach has brought on its fourth boy's hoops headman in 15 months.

Enter Mark Latsko, a 27-year-old from Gainesville who graduated from the University of Florida and has spent the past four years coaching at Trenton High.

Background check

Latsko, a social studies teacher, had no significant basketball background prior to taking the job as Trenton.

Primarily a football and baseball player at Gainesville High, he never played above junior varsity in basketball.

Upon graduating from UF in 2004, he took an assistant football position under his own former prep coach at Trenton.

He also took the junior varsity position in boy's basketball, and was thrust into the varsity spot the following season when his predecessor stepped down because of health issues.

Trenton, a Class 2A program, went 15-7, 15-6 and 8-14 in his three seasons. In 2006, Trenton finished as the runner-up in District 6 and advanced to the regional semifinals with a 55-53 overtime win over Tallahassee-Maclay.

"I enjoyed it," Latsko said. "It's a small school. There wasn't a whole bunch of athletes to choose from. Any decent basketball players we got into the program. We had a little bit of success."

Latsko decided he wanted to move out of Gainesville, having spent most of his life in Gator Country. He had met new Hernando football coach and A.D. John Palmer when Trenton played Palmer's Port St. Joe in the football regionals.

Following a couple interviews, he became the choice to try to rebuild a program that has had four straight losing seasons and hasn't reached regionals since 2004.

"I've heard through the grapevine I have my work cut out for me," Latsko said. "And I'm getting a late start. I didn't do any summer leagues or take the kids to camp. We'll try to play catch-up.

"The plan is can we turn it around. If it was that easy it would have been done before, but it's going to take hard work, defensive fundamentals and half-court fundamentals."

The new coach said he wants to get any potential players in the school to come out for the team, and he'll mold the team's style to the personnel.

"The short-term goal is getting the kids competitive," Latsko said. "The long-term goal is making sure the kids are doing right in the classroom, right on the court and right in the community."

BY THE NUMBERS: MARK LATSKO AT TRENTON HIGH
- Compiled by CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

YEAR W-L
2005-06 15-7*
2006-07 15-6
2007-08 8-14
TOTAL  38-27
* Denotes regional semifinal appearance

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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