Boys basketball: Oregon hires alum Reynolds as new head coach

It wasn’t too long ago that Jarrett Reynolds was leading the Oregon boys basketball team as a two-time captain on the court.

Now, he’ll continue to lead his alma mater from the sideline, as the Hawks have officially taken the “interim” tag off of Jarrett as head coach. He was approved as the new Oregon boys basketball coach at Monday’s school board meeting.

Jarrett is a 2016 Oregon graduate, and a 2020 Wisconsin-Whitewater grad. He teaches math at Oregon High School, and has served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons in the boys basketball program.

He was a volunteer assistant in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and was a full-time assistant this past season. He took over as interim head coach for the last month of this season after Nathan Green resigned.

Reynolds always knew he wanted to be a basketball coach at Oregon, but never dreamed his ascension would be so rapid.

“I definitely never thought it would happen this quickly,” he said. “I’m a live-and-breathe Oregon guy, so I always knew I’d be back and involved in the basketball program in some capacity.

“I’m just very persistent, and if I want something, I’ll keep an eye on it and go after it when it’s there. I know I wanted this job, and I wanted to make sure that I applied for it the right way and earned this chance.”

Just six years removed from his days as an Oregon student-athlete, Reynolds feels he can really relate to his players since he was in the same place as them so recently.

“I can definitely see where they’re coming from, because I’ve been in their shoes,” Reynolds said. “But even as a player, I saw myself as more of a leader, and I was never satisfied. I want to push our kids to be the best they can be, and I know that there’s trust there between me and the players, and that will help us be successful.”

Oregon athletic director Mike Lawton saw the natural leadership and the close relationship between Reynolds and his players as the biggest asset when making the hire.

“Having that hometown guy who bleeds red and white is something we’re really excited about with Jarrett,” Lawton said. “He has a passion for Oregon, and when the position opened up, he immediately expressed interest, and it’s a great opportunity for him. He relates super well to the kids, he knows where they’re coming from, and that’s going to be a big advantage for him. I’m excited for him and the future of the program.”

Reynolds says he’s eager to get back to work with the players, and feels like there is a strong foundation in place on which to build the program.

“We’ve got a great group of kids to establish traditions, and with them and the coaching staff that we’re going to have, it will definitely make an easy transition for me,” Reynolds said. “I’m surrounded by nothing but experience and support, and I am nothing but open-minded. I think that will help me be approachable to my players, which is a huge plus, and I think that will help us be successful in the future.”

Lawton sees the fact that Reynolds teaches in the high school as another huge factor. Not only will he be around his players during basketball season, but they’ll be able to see him throughout the day in the school hallways as well.

“There’s a lot to be said for him being a teacher in the building, because he can see kids in an academic setting and not just on the basketball court,” Lawton said. “A lot of this job happens off the court, and to have him there to help them when they need it, be a mentor for them to lean on – whether it’s basketball-related or not – is exciting for not only Jarrett, but the kids as well.”

Also on Monday, the school board accepted the resignation of Nick Schneiderman as Oregon’s head football coach, meaning Lawton will be looking for a new coach there as well. He said he’s already started the hiring process, and wants to fill the position with the right candidate as soon as possible.

“Right now we’re in the interview process, and we’ll hopefully have something here soon,” he said. “Obviously we want to get it done as quickly as we can because there are a lot of important things that occur for the football program in the summertime, and we want to get the new coach in here and give him a chance to get things organized for the offseason program.”

Schneiderman will stay at Oregon High School as a physical education teacher and the girls track & field coach.