NEW ULM — New Ulm High School activities director Troy Guentzel said that the loss of a head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach basically the same day was understandable.

“And there was no ill feelings one way or the other,” Guentzel said. “It came down to respect for people who leave a position. I have been there, I have done that, and I understand that.”

But Guentzel also said that losing Adam Tyhurst, who resigned as boys’ basketball coach to accept a similar coaching position at Norwood Young America, was a surprise.

“Especially because he was a [math] teacher here,” Guentzel said. “But in the end — just like the scenario with Dan Reinhart [girls’ basketball coach who resigned] — you have to do what is best for you and your family. And if that means that you are in a new community and coaching somewhere else, that is what is going to happen.”

Reinhart resigned from his coaching position so he could watch his daughter, Meleah, play college basketball next year at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Both coaching job openings have been posted.

“Applicants have started to come in,” Guentzel said. “This was a pretty good year for the boys’ team and they have a lot of skill coming back so that is desireable. I know in the past they have not had such a good run on the boys’ side.

“And the same with the girls — the girls’ job should be a very desirable position. Yes you are losing your leading scorer but you are also returning a lot of experience. They have things set up for the next couple of years that they will be back where they were this year competing for the section title.”

COACHING STABILITY AN ISSUE FOR BOYS’ PROGRAM: As anyone knows, one of the foundations for a good, solid program is coaching stability.

That has not been the case for the Eagles in the past, especially for the boys. In the last 11 years, the New Ulm has had five coaches run the program.

John Wellner was a one-year coach followed by two years from Lyle Erickson, three years each from both Shane Heiderscheidt and Steve Foley and the last two years from Tyhurst.

Guentzel, who was an assistant boys’ basketball coach for six years at Mound-Westonka and was the head girls’ coach for two years at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, knows that coaches coming and going can be brutal.

“One of the things that kind of keeps the program afloat is NUBA [New Ulm Basketball Association],” he said. “They do a good job in keeping the interest.

“But in the same token, I think it is tough for a community the size of New Ulm with the presence of hockey and as strong as it is — you add in wrestling — you are picking through the same group of kids. We have a good-sized student population — the kids are out doing activities.”

But it can still be brutal for the kids who have to keep adjusting to a new coach year after year.

“Right now if you are a freshman you probably know that that coach may not be there when you are a senior,” Guentzel said. “So you have that buy-in factor.”

Guentzel added that “leadership above me and through my office the one thing that we can do is try to get stability that way and that way no matter who is in position as a coach the kids wil have the opportunity that they need.”

Guentzel said that right now it is tough to get a coach to stay more than two or three years.

“Last year there were 120 openings for head basketball coaches,” he said. “It is tough — everyone is aware of all of the issues that are happening in society with why coaching has become harder and harder.”

Guentzel said that basketball has become even more difficult to coach because it is a 26-game regular season.

“And your every move at every game is under the radar,” he said. “In football they get consumed in the game — the play by play and you do not watch the coach. In basketball it is happening all the time. It moves so fast and coaches have to make decisions every moment of the game and it is easy to get lost in the managerial things, and take care of those kids.”

Guentzel said that when he interviews potential candidates, stability is a big factor.

“No doubt about that,” he said. “I do not want this to be a stop-gap. New Ulm is up and coming and I want to see it continue to move forward. I do not want just an OK job.”

NUMBERS UP IN ALL SPORTS: Guentzel said that number of kids participating in sports at NUHS has increased.

“We have over 120 kids out for track in grades 7-12, over 100 in grades 7-12 in baseball, softball numbers are over 60 in grades 7-12 and golf and tennis numbers are steady,” he said. “When you look at that many students out for a spring activity, I think that it shows where we are at. Things are moving in the right direction and I hope that this year is just the start of the scaffolding effect that will happen with kids and participation. The New Ulm of the past we are trying to not forget about but move forward with.”