Vian native hired as new Sallisaw boys basketball coach

It only took a couple of weeks for the Sallisaw Public Schools Board of Education to hire its new boys basketball coach.

After a 45-minute executive session, Vian native and University of Texas-San Antonio Director of Player Development Zac Rogers was hired at Friday afternoon’s special meeting.

“I think Sallisaw has been a place with a great tradition for a long time across the board,” Rogers said. “I’m really honored to get to be a part of it.”

“If you look back at his resume, Zac has an extremely impressive resume,” Sallisaw Public Schools Board of Education President Justin McGrew said. “We have a good hiring process in the school system. They really did a deep dive as far as looking back at references. He’s got very good references from a lot of different levels and college coaches. He comes highly touted. We have high expectations (for him) from Day 1.

Rogers, who also was part of Lon Kruger’s coaching staff with the Oklahoma Sooners, said a big reason for putting his name in for the job was it will give him a chance to come back home — as well as he thought it was time to go back to the high school basketball level “Getting back home is a priority to me. (High school basketball) is the best level, with everything that’s going crazy in (NCAA) Division I,” Rogers said. “(NCAA Division I) is a good place still, and there’s still great people there, and a lot of great athletes. It’s still an awesome place and still a great thing to be a part of, but I’m looking forward to the purity of high school athletics. Sallisaw was an amazing opportunity for that.”

To say the new coach will need to learn things on the fly is an understatement.

“I’m going to have to learn a lot,” Rogers said. “I’ll have to learn our guys very quickly, but I think it’s an awesome opportunity. It’s a great place for athletics. I’ve always been able to see that from afar, but now I’m getting into it. I’ve met Mr. (Sallisaw Athletic Director Jeff) Streun and Mr. (Sallisaw Public Schools Superintendent Steve) Barrett. They’ve been very genuine about their desire to be good in athletics across the board. The head coaches we have in place are a great group. It’s going to be exciting to get to be a part of this.”

Rogers takes over for Chadd Gehrke, who was hired as the new Chouteau-Mazie Lady Wildcats on May 15 and inherits a squad that went 10-15 this past season and got to the regional consolation semifinals. Rogers is hoping he can continue the development of the program Gehrke got underway.

“(Gehrke) did a great job,” Rogers said. “I think we just need to focus on growth right now. We don’t want to put the guys into position to ride the emotional highs and lows with winning and losing. Growth will be our focus. Obviously, we’ll have goals, but our focus will be just getting better each and every day — and putting in the work.”

Rogers said that building a program is not a one-man job.

“Building a program takes everybody,” Rogers said. “Our youth development will be huge, but even just focusing on the high school will take the community — the great people around here, the cheerleaders, the band and the alumni. I’m honored to be a small part of it. I’m hoping we can have some camps really soon.”

If Rogers has his way, there will be a basketball camp taking place before summer break ends and school begins in August.

“We’d love to (have one before school begins),” Rogers said. “(Monday) was still Day 1 for me. I’m trying to figure everything out and get the kids situated. June is really packed for high school team camps and what we have to do there. I’ll see how we can work that (a basketball camp) in. Obviously, we want to pour (basketball) into our younger kids and the development of them.”

Rogers is very excited to be with the Sallisaw Black Diamonds and can’t wait to get the ball rolling with the boys basketball program.

“I’m honored to be here and be a small part,” he said. “The head coach is great, but when you look at the big picture, it’s a small role compared to the community, the other coaches, Mr. Streun and Mr. Barrett as to how amazing the situation is that I’m getting to walk into. I’m really happy to be a part of it.”

However, from the school board’s perspective, it’s one coaching job filled, one more to go. Sallisaw softball coach, and Gehrke’s wife, Hillary Gehrke, stepped down as coach to join her husband on his move, and actually will step away from the coaching ranks for a while to raise their three kids, with No. 3 due later this year.

McGrew said it’s the board’s desire to hire the new softball coach by the end of the month.

“That will probably be discussed in a meeting within the next 30 days,” McGrew said. “I know they have a few candidates they’re interviewing.”