New Hamburg basketball coach knows he has building job ahead of him
Will Wilson admits it was never a goal to be a high school head coach.
The 39-year-old Reading High grad sees basketball as a way to develop and positively influence young people and that’s what he’ll try to do as Hamburg’s boys basketball coach.
“My mission is community enrichment through youth development,” he said. “If we’re doing that through sport it’s even better. We’re able to do that through basketball with this opportunity.”
Wilson returned to coaching at the high school level last season as the JV coach for Kevin McFarland, who resigned as Hawks’ head coach last month after one season on the job.
Wilson previously coached in the Hamburg program, enjoyed working in the community, and was drawn to the job when McFarland left.
“It seemed like a good fit for both the school district and myself to be able to positively influence some young folks’ lives,” he said.
Wilson has spent much of the last 15 years coaching at the youth level and running youth leagues in and around Reading. He also spent one season coaching at the junior high level and Muhlenberg and three years as a JV coach at Hamburg under Brian Weller, from 2010-13.
Hamburg athletic director Aaron Menapace remembered him from that stint and was impressed with Wilson’s ideas for program development during his interview.
“He’s very professional, a high energy, enthusiastic person,” Menapace said. “I’m really happy to have him, because I know he’s going to take care of our kids.”
Wilson understands he’s facing a building situation at Hamburg, which graduates its top two scorers, Xander Menapace and Kevin McFarland III, from a team that went 10-12.
Those 10 wins were the most for the Hawks in 15 years; they haven’t known a winning season since 2000.
“It’s definitely a building process,” Wilson said. “It’s gonna be a work in progress. We want to bridge the gap and extend our support to the elementary level and junior high level to make sure that they get the support they need (so that) once they get to the high school level they’re ready to rock and roll and have the confidence in their skill set to be able to perform.”
“He understands the dynamic here, (and) the things that have to happen for us to get better,” Menapace said. “He’s a worker and committed for the long haul.”
Wilson played football for Al Wolski at Reading High and went on to play cornerback at Wilkes University. He credits Wolski and the other Red Knights coaches for turning his life around.
“Having me commit to the sport of football, and not to the distractions and other negative opportunities within the inner city, saved my life,” Wilson said.
The coaches he played for at Reading, as well as later Red Knights coaches, have influenced his coaching philosophy and made him understand the importance of building relationships. He looks at Reading High basketball coach Rick Perez as a model for the kind of coach he wants to be and the kind of program he wants to build. He said he has also been influenced by current Reading coach Troy Godinet, former Reading and Daniel Boone football coach Rob Flowers, and current Muhlenberg basketball coach Matt Flowers.
“I pay attention to their approach in how they lead their teams,” Wilson said. “They see the whole picture.”
The Hawks enjoyed their best season in more than a decade and were in the running at midseason for a spot in the District 3 Tournament. They were 7-3 and 9-5 in mid-January before a losing streak knocked them out of playoff contention. Four of the top five scorers graduate.
