Jared Greninger has been named the new head varsity boys basketball coach at Cloverdale High School, taking over for former coach Pat Fitzgerald.
No stranger to high school hoops, Greninger brings in nearly two decades of coaching experience, looking to continue what has been a great basketball tradition.
“I’m very excited to be taking over the basketball program at Cloverdale High,” he said. “There is such a rich history and culture surrounding the program that makes this opportunity very special. After a tough year off, the boys are very motivated to regain their form.”
Greninger spent a pair of seasons leading the Windsor program and several years as a JV coach and varsity assistant at Cardinal Newman, Healdsburg, Montgomery, Novato and San Rafael high schools.
Prior to his coaching career, he was a standout player for the Analy Flying Tigers in Sebastopol.
The veteran coach has hit the ground running since taking over last month, putting together an off-season program that has the Eagles playing an ambitious summer schedule, including a tournament in Rocklin on July 17.
Cloverdale took on Ukiah with just four varsity players and several from the JV team on July 15, perhaps giving fans a glimpse of things to come. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead and later iced the contest at the foul line in the waning seconds to score a 58-52 win.
Cloverdale carried the momentum into the Rocklin Tournament last Saturday, playing outstanding basketball to win two games by double digits.
“We faced some fast and aggressive teams who challenged us to be disciplined on offense and defense,” Greninger noted. “The boys played really well as a team and were able to pull away in both games to win by 10-plus points.”
Like any coach worth his or her salt, Greninger has a knack for adapting the style of play to his team’s strengths.
“This group has the ability to attack the basket and work the ball inside,” he said. “Defensively, we’ll look to switch it up throughout the game to keep our opponents out of sync. We’re a high energy and fast paced group and should be fun to watch this year.”
The Eagles are shaking off a year of rust following the cancellation of the entire 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but are more than making up for lost time.
“They’ve put in a ton of work this summer, and have seen it pay off with a great performance in the Rocklin tournament,” Greninger said. “We have a good group of boys coming out this year and I expect us to be very competitive in league. I also believe this group is talented enough to make a run in the North Coast Section playoffs.”
