New coach brings in wealth of energy and experience
The Windsor High School athletic department announced the hiring of Paul Holland to lead the boys basketball program, succeeding veteran coach Jared Greninger.
The surprise announcement came on July 2 before a socially distanced crowd of players, parents and supporters in the main gymnasium, with all the hoopla and excitement befitting one of the top high school programs in the North Bay.
“We are very excited to welcome Paul to our Jaguar family,” WHS Athletic Director Jamie Williams said. “I believe we found the right and perfect fit for such an uncertain time in sports at the high schools right now to keep our students engaged and loving the game.”
Holland, a native of England, played college basketball at both Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Colby Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire.
He assumes the Windsor helm after spending a couple of seasons as a JV coach and varsity assistant at Tempe High School in Arizona. He began his coaching career in 2015 as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State College in Ohio, followed by a year at James Madison University in Virginia in the same capacity.
The new head coach takes over the basketball program at the most uncertain of times, but Holland expressed excitement for the challenge ahead.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have at Windsor,” he said. “I’ve been welcomed into a great community and I’m very excited to get started.”
Once local health directives allow for organized workouts, Holland’s first order of business will be to continue a winning tradition that has elevated Windsor to a near elite level in the Redwood Empire.
Last season the Jaguars finished fourth in the tough North Bay League Oak Division with a 4-6 record to qualify for the NBL tournament, falling just short of North Coast Section playoff consideration with an overall mark of 10-17.
Although Holland will have the Jags competing hard, wins and losses will be secondary to his main objectives – character-building and self responsibility.
“My goal is to develop these student athletes into great young men first and foremost,” he noted. “The game of basketball teaches many life lessons and these lessons will be at the heart of our program. I look forward to meeting more of the Windsor community and hope to build a winning culture that will be well supported by the whole community.”
