Petaluma High School has found a new coach to lead its varsity boys basketball program next season.
John McEvoy joins the Trojans with years of coaching and playing experience, most recently coaching the freshman team for the past two years at St. Ignatius College Preparatory High School in San Francisco, where he also assisted in varsity.
McEvoy also coached for three years at Novato High School, as well as one year of coaching junior varsity at San Marin.
Now he returns to Petaluma, where he previously lived for about five years before moving to San Francisco, where he also coached with the Bay City Basketball program. McEvoy said he’s excited to get back to lead a basketball program “in an area that has such strong community and good, hardworking people.”
“The legacy that I hope to lead would be that I build a program that the kids really loved playing for and loved being part of,” McEvoy said. “I have such a love for this game and if I can do my best to pass that love on to the next generation, that’s what it’s really all about.”
Petaluma High athletic director An Truong said that, when considering applicants for the position, McEvoy “stood out with his vision, organization, knowledge and structure.”
“We are excited to have him as the head of the boys basketball program here at PHS,” Truong said. “He’s already been amazing with his care, attention, and inclusion of the frosh and JV programs, and his approach to the entirety of the program shows his investment in development, strength and the future of the program.”
Growing up in San Rafael, McEvoy played varsity basketball at Terra Linda High School. He attended Sacramento State, where he earned a degree in communication before moving back to the Bay Area to expand his coaching career.
At Petaluma High, McEvoy follows Anton Lyons, who announced his departure after the end of the 2024 basketball season, his fifth with the Trojans.
McEvoy said he hopes to continue the team’s legacy and success by helping players build a collaborative dynamic on and off the court.
“One of biggest things is teaching the kids how to work hard and what it takes to be a successful high school athlete, both on the court and in the classroom and in the community, and the amount of dedication that takes,” he said.
Amelia Richardson is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.richardson@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.