Basketball Pintos searching for new coach

California Pinto Head Coach Blair Scanlon reacts to the Pintos' Class 3 Sectional win against Blair Oaks March 7 at Rolla.
California Pinto Head Coach Blair Scanlon reacts to the Pintos' Class 3 Sectional win against Blair Oaks March 7 at Rolla.

CALIFORNIA - After posting a 21-4 record in the 2014-15 campaign, California must now fill the most important spot on its bench.

After six years as an head coach, Blair Scanlon is returning to Rock Bridge High School to take an assistant job under his father, Jim Scanlon, a position he held for five years prior to his two stints as a head coach - two years at Linn High School and four with the Pintos.

"I've got a lot of questions about that," Scanlon said when asked about returning as an assistant. "I'll be a head coach again, eventually. Right now, I'm looking forward to being an assistant. It was the right time to move. We miss seeing people in Columbia, that's where I grew up and that's were my family is."

In his four years, Scanlon had a 73-33 record and he's never had a losing season. In his first season, he brought the Pintos to quarterfinals of the state playoffs, winning the first district title since 1990.

Also, the Pintos won the California Tournament in back-to-back seasons, the first time in 25 years.

"(Jeff Taggart) left me with a pretty good team," Scanlon said. "I had six or seven seniors my first year, so I had a veteran group. It had been 22 years since they won a district title. ... We won a share of the conference this year, it had been either 2008 or 2009 the last time they were conference champs."

The move back to Rock Bridge wasn't necessarily a basketball-minded move, but more of a family one.

"I took an opportunity that was hard to pass up," Scanlon said. "I'm from Columbia, missing my friends and family and I'm going to a good program. I've got a family now, so I get a little more time to spend it with them."

While the Pintos are losing nine seniors, Scanlon believes he left the program in a good position for the future. He believes the mentally the coaches and older players set in his four years will help the younger players lead the team.

"I think the program is in pretty good shape," Scanlon said. "I think the younger kids have seen the culture we've built, kind of blue-collar, hard-nose basketball. They'll be young but at least they've seen what the older guys have set.

"I hope they bring in a coach that will do a good job and I wish him the best of luck. I'll be cheering for them."