Long-time Exeter assistant set to take over Wyomissing boys basketball program

Even when he was playing at Exeter Konlan Krick was thinking ahead, about someday coaching basketball. His father, Keith, was a long-time assistant coach in the area and Konlan aspired to following him down that path.

When his high school coach, Kevin Boettlin, asked him to join the Exeter staff seven years ago Krick jumped at the chance.

“Once I got into it with Kevin, and then (when) Matt (Ashcroft) kept me on, I really wanted to taste more of it,” Krick said.

He’ll get that chance at Wyomissing, where he is expected to be officially approved as boys basketball coach by the school board at its June 10 meeting.

Konlan enjoyed his playing days at Exeter, where he led the team in scoring as a senior in 2011-12, but appreciated the game even more once he began coaching.

“It was nice to see the other end of it,” said the 30-year-old Krick, a Penn State grad and a financial analyst. “When you’re the player, you pick the coach’s brain. It was nice to brainstorm those ideas with Kevin and watch him run with it. Watching (your ideas) come to fruition was awesome. It was like the other side of the coin.”

After two seasons assisting Boettlin, Krick stayed on staff when Ashcroft was hired. He was the Eagles’ JV coach during Ashcroft’s four seasons and again last season for first-year head coach Jeff VanGorder.

He was more than just the JV coach; he became a valued X’s and O’s guy for Ashcroft, who credits Krick for much of the success Exeter had when it won its first District 3 championship in 2023 and made a run through the state tournament.

“Konlan was really instrumental in re-tooling our offense come playoff time so that we weren’t easily scout-able,” Ashcroft said. “The Hershey game (in the district semifinals), we used his play sheet the entire second half, and that game was instrumental for us; we don’t have the state (tournament) success if we don’t win that game.”

When Krick called earlier this month seeking advice about the Wyomissing job, Ashcroft encouraged him to go for it.

“He put in seven years as an assistant coach,” Ashcroft said. “He learned under (three) different coaching staffs, and you could see his growth year over year over year. He knows what it takes to coach at the highest level in high school, and to run a successful program. I think he realizes the balance it takes, and I think he’s going to have a whole lot of success.”

Krick succeeds Garrett Etzel, who moved to his alma mater, Gov. Mifflin, after one season at Wyomissing.

The Spartans made a run at the Berks and District 3 playoffs this season but lost their final three games, finished 11-11 and missed the postseason. They graduate three starters but bring back their leading scorer, Danny Fleischood, an all-division pick as a sophomore.

With three-time Berks III champ Fleetwood graduating its entire lineup Wyomissing has a chance to compete for the Division III title next season.

“There’s a lot of young talent there,” Krick said of Wyomissing. “Their junior class is strong; they probably have five to seven guys who can come in and fill those voids the senior left behind.

“There’s athletes all over that school, as you can tell by their football team’s history and what their track team just accomplished with their district title.”

Wyomissing hasn’t won a postseason game in three seasons and hasn’t reached the state tournament since 2011.

The basketball team in the spotlight more recently at Wyomissing has been the girls team, which has won back-to-back District 3 championships and could go for a third straight next season with Amaya Stewart returning for her senior season.

“The Wyomissing boys are in the shadow of the girls right now,” Krick said, “but that’s not always how it’s going to be. I think both teams can be very successful. They’re good at pretty much everything (at Wyomissing); boys basketball is not exempt from that.”

Wyomissing is the fifth Berks boys basketball program to name a new head coach since the end of the season.

Terry Sitler retired after 10 years coaching at Fleetwood and was replaced earlier this month by Jason Bieber, who had been coaching the Brandywine Heights girls. Mike Dooley left Conrad Weiser after one season; he was replaced by Joey Negron.  RJ Proska was hired at Twin Valley last week.