Green Valley hires Allen as boys basketball coach

Green Valley High's boys basketball coaching carousel finally came to a stop Monday, as the Henderson school hired Jim Allen, one of the area's most respected basketball minds.

Allen, who has spent the past six years as the athletic director and boys golf coach at Durango, coached basketball at Rancho from 1977 to 1990, the final 11 years as head coach. He led the Rams to three zone titles and the 1985 large-school state championship.

Allen also helped found Las Vegas' annual Holiday Prep Classic winter tournament, which is going into its 22nd year, along with the summer's Big Time Tournament, which is in its fifth year. He still serves as a tournament director for both events.

He also spent two seasons as a Green Valley assistant under boys basketball coach Gene Carpenter in the early 1990s.

"We were looking for someone with experience, and he's been around basketball for a long time," Green Valley athletic administrator Lee Koelliker said. "We're very excited."

"I've always had that yearning inside me to get back (into coaching)," Allen said. "I've seen so many games over the years, and it's such a great sport."

Allen becomes the Gators' fourth boys basketball coach in as many years. He replaces Koelliker, who took over as the interim coach last winter after the school fired Larry Thomas. Thomas led the team to the state playoffs in 1998, but was let go after an investigation into his program's finances.

After a rocky start, Koelliker helped the Gators into the zone playoffs with a 9-7 Sunrise Division record. However, as an assistant principal, he is prohibited from coaching again next year.

Allen's move will also impact the Big Time and Holiday Prep tournaments, both of which are likely to move their headquarters from Durango to Green Valley.

"Durango will stay headquarters for the Big Time and the Holiday Prep this year, but we plan on moving it to Green Valley after that," Allen confirmed.

As for his time at Durango, Allen said he'll leave with plenty of fond memories.

"It was a great place to work," he said. "I got to work with one of the best coaching staffs in town. The timing just happened to be right for this."

The hiring of Allen, combined with the promotion of current assistants Mark Shumm (wrestling) and Ken Goetsch (girls soccer), leaves boys soccer as the only vacant head coaching position at Green Valley. The school recently promoted baseball assistant Nick Garritano and football assistant John Culver.

"They're all good, young coaches who are very energized and excited about their jobs," Koelliker said.

archive