Drew Snelgrove has been hired as the new head coach of the Monte Vista Christian boys basketball team, the school recently announced.

Snelgrove has coached hoops for more than 25 years at the high school and collegiate level.

He was inducted into the Capital Christian Hall of Fame in 2005 after winning more than 100 games and leading the boys basketball program at the private school in Sacramento to a pair of section championships.

Most recently, Snelgrove served as an assistant for the boys program at Valley Christian in San Jose.

He has also coached at Sacramento State, Bethany University and Scotts Valley High.  

“His experience building programs and his approach to player development, building the body, mind and spirit while having the vision of being a program builder,” M.V.C. Athletic Director Matt Coleman wrote in a text message explaining what made Snelgrove the right candidate for the job. “Having coached at both the high school and collegiate levels he knows what it takes to get to the next level.”

Snelgrove takes over for Hasan Houston, who resigned shortly after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence on Feb. 21 at his Wheelock Road home across the street from the school. All charges against him were dropped just five days later due to a lack of evidence.

Houston led the Mustangs to the CCS playoffs in each of his two seasons as coach, and posted a 29-18 record in that time.

M.V.C. will lose the services of seven graduating seniors, including starters Miles Greene, Aiden Ezeji-Okoye, Riley Kafka and Lucas Schmidt, who is headed to NCAA Division I North Dakota in the fall.

They will, however, return 6-foot-4 forward Andrew Lee and six other players from last season’s team, which finished fourth in the Monterey Bay League Gabilan division.

Next winter, the Mustangs will compete in Pacific Coast Athletic League, a newly-formed super league made up of the current members of the Monterey Bay League, Mission Trail Athletic League and Coastal Athletic League. M.V.C. will be in the toughest division, the Gabilan, with local powers Alisal High, Carmel High, Monterey High, Palma High and Salinas High.

“The process of building a winning culture as well as to serve and prepare the student-athletes is an incredible privilege,” Snelgrove said in a press release. “I am truly excited for what is to come.”

M.V.C. is still in search of a girls golf and girls volleyball coach.

In other local coaching news:

Aptos hires golf, volleyball coaches – Aptos High recently made a pair of coaching hires, according to Athletic Director Mark Dorfman.

Matt Anderson was hired as the head coach of the girls golf program, while Lake Merchen was brought aboard to lead the girls volleyball team.

Anderson, an on-campus special education teacher, was previously the head coach from 2002-07 before a move from the area.

He takes over for Bill Tsudama, who was named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League’s Coach of the Year in each season of the Mariners’ four-year reign over the league.

Merchen is currently the director and head coach of the Mountain View Volleyball Club’s sand volleyball program, and was a two-time All-American while at UC Santa Cruz, where he set the school records for kills, aces and digs.

He takes over an Aptos squad that has won the SCCAL crown each of the last five seasons, but will be without nine graduating seniors, including five starters.

The hire leaves Aptos with two openings: girls basketball and wrestling.

WHS baseball opening today – Watsonville High will open its search for a new baseball coach today on edjoin.org.

The Wildcatz finished off their year with assistant James Garza serving as the interim head coach after first-year coach Leroy Dozal was let go midway through the season.

Watsonville is also still looking for a girls volleyball coach. The school is taking applications for the volleyball position until June 8.

St. Francis looking for tennis coach – St. Francis High is still in search of a head coach for its girls’ tennis program, Athletic Director Adam Hazel said.

All interested contact Hazel at [email protected].

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