KINNIKINNICK — This fall will mark the beginning of a new era for Zane Trace’s boys basketball program.
Tyler Cassidy was selected as the newest head coach of the Pioneers following his approval in May. He replaces former Hall of Fame coach Gary Kellough, who retired following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season and a 52-year coaching career.
Cassidy is well-acquainted with the court. He last served as a head coach at Circleville from 2015-19, as well as acting as an assistant coach for the past two seasons. He’s had a hand in other Pickaway County programs as well, with stints as assistant at Logan Elm from 2005-11 and Teays Valley from 2011-15. Now, Cassidy takes over for a program fresh off a sectional finals appearance last and a Scioto Valley Conference title in 2022-23.
The Gazette sat down with Cassidy to speak on his transition into a new program and new conference, his philosophy on continuing the success at Zane Trace and his prior coaching experience, among other things.
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Gazette: It’s been just over a month, getting around to two months since you got the job at Zane Trace. New program, new scene, what’s that process been like?
Cassidy: It hasn’t been too big of an adjustment. I’ve coached for a long time, but at Zane Trace, there’s a lot of similarities to where I graduated from, Logan Elm. It’s a school with high basketball expectations. We have kids that are committed, from really good families. The adjustment really has been pretty easy. Kids are showing up, working hard and we’re trying to create a level of consistency with that. But I’ve been really pleased with the effort and the kids being committed in the spring and summer. One thing that’s stood out from Zane Trace is that you have kids who care. They really care about their sports and also families that are extremely supportive of their sons playing.
Zane Trace has a lot of guys returning that saw a lot of play time last year. Has that kind of helped at all, having guys that are experienced on the court? Does that help you guys adjust that game plan?
I think so. We have five seniors returning and we’ve got a lot of kids with a lot of ball skill, meaning their ball handling and their passing and their footwork are really good on the perimeter. But last year it was a lot of dribble and a lot of ball screening action, and this year we’re trying to move more without the ball in our hands. It’s been an adjustment.
Zane Trace is a program that’s used to success. Based on what you’ve seen so far, what do you feel like is the key to continuing that success?
I think that we’ll be competitive next year in our league, and we have a tough non-league schedule. But for us to do something that is going to take that next step in the postseason, we’ve got to get better defensively and we’ve got to build our toughness both mentally and physically. I’m not saying we don’t have tough kids, because we do. If we can develop to a level of consistency on the defensive end where we’re playing with our chest, not playing with our hands, we’re connected at the defensive end, we’re aggressive when we want to be aggressive. If we can get more consistency at the defensive end and rebounding, that will give us that opportunity to take the next step of winning championships.
Is it kind of exciting, diving into a new conference? You’ve spent much of your time in the Mid-State League. What’s that feeling like, coming to a new conference where you’re treading new ground?
It’s extremely exciting, and it’s kind of reinvigorating a little bit. In the Mid-State League, I’ve coached in that league for I want to say 17 years. So for me to go to the SVC, I’m very familiar with the Mid-State League and their coaches, not as familiar with SVC, but I’m definitely looking forward to the new league, a new energy, new schools, and, going to different schools and having different environments.
After coach Gary Kellough stepped down, there were some big shoes to fill. What’s it like stepping into a program headed by a highly-lauded coach and being able to be the first coach of a new era?
Coach Kellough was an amazing coach, excellent for the not only the kids, but the whole Zane Trace community. When you think of basketball, you think of Zane Trace, you think of coach Kellough and all the great things that he did for the community. Obviously, the expectations shouldn’t change, and I can’t really compare myself to coach Kellough’s state championship and many SVC championships and a lot of wins. I think I just need to go be myself and build off of what he’s already established.
Anything else you’d like to touch on?
I stressed discipline and toughness through standards to create consistency, but we also talk about winning habits. As a staff, we try to communicate to our players that everything is habitual, and if we do things the right way, then we are creating winning habits. If we aren’t doing things the right way, that creates losing habits.