By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
It's been a long time coming.
Former Brandywine standout, Dowagiac assistant coach and Coloma varsity head coach Josh Hood was named the new Cassopolis boys' basketball coach Monday night.
Hood, who was hired as a math teacher back in May, was named the varsity basketball coach to replace Floyd Foston at a orgnizational meeting of the Cassopolis Board of Education.
Foston will remain the Rangers' varsity girls' basketball coach.
Cassopolis principal Rusty Stitt and athletic director Hiawatha Francisco decided during the middle of last season that the Rangers needed to go in a different direction with the boy's program.
Hood, 27, has posted some impressive numbers at Coloma, including a 54-16 overall record.
Coloma won one Lakeland Conference, one district and one regional championship.
Hood directed the Comets to the Class B district championship game this past March.
The Comets were defeated by St. Joseph in the title game, 59-55 in overtime.
Hood traveled back-and-forth to Coloma from his teaching position at Niles' Ring Lardner Middle School.
Not being in the same building, or even school district for that matter, aided in his decision to resign from Coloma back in April.
This past June Hood unofficially began working with the Cassopolis basketball program at two summer camps - one in Stevensville and the other in Mattawan.
Hood plans to begin his official work as the Rangers' new head coach in a couple of weeks as he holds open gym and conducts scrimmages.
Hood was a standout player at Brandywine High School.