New Exeter basketball coach won’t be burdened by lofty expectations

Jeff VanGorder knows he’s taking over an Exeter basketball team that returns a lot of talent from a team that played for league, district and state championships last season.

He also knows that with that come high expectations.

The 35-year-old former college assistant coach doesn’t seem bothered by that.

“I’m not going to be as concerned with the expectations at the beginning, because I want to make sure I’m doing justice to this team and this group of guys,” VanGorder said Tuesday evening after being officially approved by the Exeter school board. “It’s a different team and different group of guys than last year.”

The Eagles went 27-7, won their first District 3 championship and made a stirring run through the PIAA Tournament.

Two months after that joyride ended head coach Matt Ashcroft dropped a bombshell, saying he was resigning after just four seasons on the job.

With two starters and four of their top seven scorers returning the Eagles were expecting to play for more championships in 2024.

VanGorder understands all of that. He also knows that last season is last season and that he and his players will have to prove themselves all over again beginning in five months.

“Obviously they had a lot of success last year,” VanGorder said. “Some of those guys (who contributed) were younger. Reece (Garvin) and Kevin (Saenz) coming back, they get to be senior leaders. That’s a really special opportunity for them.

“You’ve got guys who are now sophomores (key reserves Aiden Dauble and Jayden Ware among them). It’s another year to get better, to grow, and they’re going to be better for that. I’m excited to work with them and see what we can do.

“If you concentrate on getting better every day, the rest is going to take care of itself. I’m excited to be working with a good group of guys. I know these guys are going to be ready to work hard.”

VanGorder is not unfamiliar with the program, or the school district. He briefly lived in Exeter Township a few years ago before taking a job with the Ursinus men’s basketball program and moving to Perkiomenville, where he still resides.

His wife Laura (formerly Turner), a Wilson grad, lived in the Exeter district and teaches in the Daniel Boone district. Her parents live in the Exeter district.

VanGorder happened to stop by the Eagles’ gym a few years ago to catch a game. He liked the atmosphere and said he has heard nothing but good things from his in-laws about the area.

“Being familiar with the district and comfortable with the families in the district made it really appealing,” he said of the Exeter job.

VanGorder is currently the director for Pro Skills Basketball Philadelphia. He’ll continue in that capacity while coaching the Eagles.

He has coached at Muhlenberg College, Carnegie Mellon, Muhlenberg College and Hamilton College over the past decade but his work with the PSB AAU teams – and other AAU programs in earlier years — has given him direct contact with high school-age players, which should prove beneficial in his new gig.

“I wouldn’t take the challenge (of running a high school program) if I didn’t have expectations on myself,” said the Cortland, N.Y., native.

VanGorder coincidentally saw Saenz, Dauble and Ware play last weekend at Spooky Nook when news of his hiring broke. He spoke briefly with Saenz and Dauble and plans to catch them and their teammates playing in the West Reading Summer League next week.

“I’m super excited to get going,” he said, “and they have the same sentiment.”

Ashcroft, 34, was named both Berks and Pennsylvania’s Class 5A Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to 10 postseason wins. Their only postseason losses came to Reading High and Imhotep Charter, the eventual Class 6A and 5A PIAA champs, respectively.

Exeter graduated a pair of All-Berks picks, center Anthony Caccese and guard Zyion Paschall, and three-year starter Teddy Snyder but has plenty of firepower back.

Garvin and Saenz were all-division picks as juniors. Garvin averaged 11.3 points last season, second-highest on the team, and led the Eagles with 50 3-pointers. Saenz averaged 11.1 points and made 39 3’s.

They’ll be joined by Alex Kelsey, a rising senior who played a key role off the bench and started several games in the postseason. Dauble and Ware were two of the Berks Conference’s most talented freshmen last season.