Brett Hinckley
Jerome Riley recently stepped in as the boys basketball coach at Palo Verde.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | midnight
It's sort of a homecoming for Jermone Riley.
The Clark graduate is returning to Las Vegas to become Palo Verde's boys basketball coach, a job he officially started last week.
"It's a great feeling. This is probably one of the best public schools in terms of athletics and academics in the city," Riley said.
He was an assistant at South Carolina State University last season and an assistant at Northern Arizona in 2006.
"Some people might look at it as a step back, but I think it's a step up," Riley said. "Relationships in college are so impersonal. You don't get to develop those relationships with your players like you do in high school."
Riley led Clark to the 1993 state championship and played two years at Northern Arizona, where he was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year. He later transferred to University of Texas-San Antonio and helped lead it to the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
He's still getting to know the team at Palo Verde, but is already familiar with one player — junior Moses Morgan. Before coaching at Northern Arizona, Riley was the basketball director and coach of the Agassi Stars Elite Basketball Program, where he coached Morgan.
"I've coached him since he was a little kid. We have a great relationship and have kept in touch," Riley said. "He's excited I'm here, and I'm excited to coach him."
Palo Verde Athletic Director Darwin Rost has known Riley since he was a freshman at Clark.
"Hiring him makes me feel old, because I've know him so long," Rost said. "He's a great role model. He played college ball and now he's back teaching these kids."
Palo Verde went 15-9 last year to finish second in the Northwest Division, but lost in the Sunset Regional quarterfinals to Durango 91-86 in overtime.
Riley is the school's third boys coach since opening in 1996. He takes over for Phil Aznarez, who retired after four years. Phil Clarke coached the Panthers from 1996 to 2003, but passed away in 2004.
Brent Hinckley can be reached at 990-2687 or [email protected].
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