By Pete Borello
Teaching math and coaching basketball aren’t that different, according to the new girls basketball coach at Los Altos High.
“I approach coaching like I do teaching,” said Scott Green, hired last month. “I see it as an extension of the classroom,”
Basketball may not have a lot in common with calculus or algebra - the courses he teaches at Pinewood School - but Green’s philosophy is to treat his players the same way he treats his students
“I don’t have two personalities,” he said.
Green described himself as “organized” and a coach who is “upfront with the kids. I hold them accountable, have expectations and don’t have favorites.”
Green has taught for 23 years and coached basketball for 15. The Illinois native began coaching boys in Chicago and, after three years, moved to the suburbs to coach girls basketball.
Green moved to the Bay Area two years ago “to get away from the weather,” he said. Along with teaching math, Green coached junior high basketball at Pinewood - the girls team in the 2004-05 season and the boys in 2005-06.
“There obviously weren’t any high school positions open here,” said Green, who closely followed the Pinewood girls’ run to the state championship last season under longtime coach Doc Scheppler. “I was able to keep my feet wet (coaching junior high), but it’s not the same.”
That helps explain why Green is so excited about the job at Los Altos - his first varsity head coaching position since he ran the girls program at Carmel Catholic High from 1991-93.
“It’s a great opportunity to get back to that level,” said the University of Illinois graduate. “I’ve matured a lot since then and I know a lot more about the game. I’m chomping at the bit to get started.”
Green expected to meet his team this week at a mini-camp in the Los Altos gym. The only player he knew prior to taking the job was standout forward Emily Lippe; Green taught Emily’s sister Hannah at Pinewood this past school year. Hannah, who transferred from Los Altos to Pinewood after her sophomore year, started for the Panthers the last two seasons.
Green is relieved that Emily is not making the same move after her sophomore year.
“Thankfully, she’s staying,” the coach said. “I look forward to coaching her; she’s going to be a nice player.”
Green would like to get Lippe and the rest of the returning players into the playoffs - something they’ve never experienced. The Eagles didn’t qualify for the postseason during Vern Hubbard’s four-year tenure as coach. Last season, Los Altos went 4-8 in the SCVAL El Camino Division and 5-16 overall.
“I’ve heard some things about what’s gone on here, but I don’t want to get bogged down by the past,” Green said. “I want to come in with a positive attitude and approach it like I’ve approached every other program I’ve coached. I want to establish a positive atmosphere, make it fun, get the kids interested in the game and be successful.”
Green is a stickler for defense and will stress that - and the other fundamentals - to his players.
“In basketball, you win with defense,” the San Jose resident said. “If you play defense, you’re always in a position to win every game, though you obviously won’t win them all. If you’re not strong (defensively), it makes it a lot tougher.”
Offensively, Green plans to tailor the team’s style to the personnel he inherits.
“Whatever offense we run, we have to put (the players) in a position to make high-percentage shots,” said Green, who will be assisted by Los Altos graduate Marisa Whitlock.
Green’s knowledge of basketball and passion for the sport helped him land the job, according to retiring athletic director Monica Lodge.
“He’s really into basketball and is real focused,” said Lodge, part of a hiring committee that included new athletic director Kim Cave, principal Wynne Satterwhite and boys basketball coach James Reilly. “I think he’ll do a nice job.”
Green’s job begins in early fall with offseason conditioning. Tryouts take place Oct. 23-27 and the season tips off Nov. 20 at district rival Mountain View.
