By By JEFF FISHER / Niles Daily Star
EDWARDSBURG – After Monday night's school board meeting at Edwardsburg High School, school board officials named Steve Austin the new boys' basketball varsity coach.
Austin (318-197 in 22 years) brings a wealth of basketball knowledge to the program. Austin was an assistant coach this past winter at Wawasee (Ind.) High School.
Prior to that, he spent 11 seasons (160-93) as the Northridge (Ind.) High School coach. During his tenure there, the Raiders won five sectional championships. His .632 winning percentage is the best in school history.
In his 22 years of coaching, his teams captured a pair of state final appearances at South Bend (Ind.) St. Joseph's and 10 sectional crowns with three different teams.
"Steve is an outstanding individual to land, I look forward to working with him," Edwardsburg Athletic Director Kevin Dean said. "He brings vast experience, and is high-caliber. I look for good things from him."
The 52-year-old Austin will look to bring the Eddies back to being a contender.
Winning will be first on the agenda and then looking at building a program at the lower levels to go along with a new gymnasium.
"He teaches old school and I think that the kids will like that and will buy into it," Dean added.
Austin replaces Jeff Kozinski, who resigned after the season ended. Kozinski, who went 4-17 last season, spent five years as the Eddies coach.
Austin was also approved for an alternative education instructor position at the high school.