Story originally printed in the Tomah Journal or online at www.tomahjournal.com
Published - Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Assistant coaches resign along with Brieske
Jeff Brieske won’t be back next year as head coach of the Tomah High School boys basketball team, and neither will the rest of his coaching staff.
Brieske said a desire to spend more time with his family was the top reason he resigned as head boys basketball coach, but he also said he and his coaches weren’t sure whether there was a commitment by the players to engage in the off-season work necessary to make the program successful.
“We knew as a staff what it would take to turn the program around,” Brieske said. “We weren’t sure as a staff if (the players) had totally bought into that. I’m not sure if they were buying into our expectations.”
Resigning along with Brieske were varsity assistant coach Brad Plueger, varsity reserve coach Tim Gnewikow and junior varsity coach Dave Wall.
The varsity posted a 6-15 overall record last fall, Tomah’s best record since it won the Mississippi Valley Conference title in 2004-05.
Brieske said he looks forward to the extra time with his wife, Mandy, and their two pre-school children.
“There were times I would come home in a bad mood,” Brieske said. “The kids deserve a happy dad, and they’re going to get that. I’m going to enjoy watching my dad coach softball and enjoying time with my family a lot more.”
Brieske made it clear that he wasn’t forced out.
“This was not pushed by the administration,” he said. “I felt I was supported by the principal, superintendent and activities director.”
Brieske, who lettered in baseball and basketball at Tomah High School, doesn’t intend to leave coaching for good.
“I definitely want to coach again,” Brieske said. “Looking back, there are some things I would have changed, but there are more things I would have done the same.”
All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.