MANITOWOC — It doesn’t happen too often, a state champion basketball team having to find a new head coach.
The Roncalli Jets who won the Division 4 state championship this past season were in that predicament when Joe Garceau left the program to teach at a different school just a few weeks ago.
Now, there is now a new pilot for the Jets basketball program.
“After I thought about it, I was like, ‘this is a great opportunity, one that I can’t pass up on,’” said Roncalli’s new head coach Josh Erickson. “Opportunities like this come around and feel like it all just makes sense sometimes.”
The Jets didn’t have to scour the coaching ranks to replace Garceau who won two state titles with the program. Erickson graduated from Roncalli in 2014.
“I don’t expect to fill shoes or do anything like that, just continue on a great tradition of high level of basketball here in Roncalli,” he said,
Erickson was a captain with the Jets and at Concordia University. Naturally, his leadership translated to the coaching ranks. He was an assistant at Brookfield East High School the last few years.
“I was always vocal and set a good example for my teammates, Erickson said. “Naturally, it was always a good fit for me. I think it just kind of led into this really wanting to be a coach and being able to share those skill sets with younger players.”
The new Jets head coach is looking forward to continuing the winning ways of the program, and maintaining the great work ethic that the program has always had.
“I have had a lot of great mentors, teachers, leaders that kind of led me into this path and I aspire to be like them and I kind of want to carry on that same tradition where I’m inspiring individuals here on the team to not necessarily get into coaching or pursuing basketball, but pursue what drives them and what fulfills them.”
