Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

high school basketball:

Chad Beeten back as Clark’s basketball coach

Clark High School Coach David Svendsen

Steve Marcus

Clark High School head basketball coach Chad Beeten coaches during practice at the school Monday, Feb. 23, 2015.

Updated Tuesday, May 2, 2017 | 4:04 p.m.

The Clark High basketball team has a new coach — well, sort of.

Chad Beeten is back at the helm of the Chargers’ program, returning to the Las Vegas power he built after one season coaching in Southern California.

Beeten took Clark from one of the Southern Nevada’s worst programs to one of the best, winning three straight class 3A titles through the 2015-16 season before leaving for Crossroads in Santa Monica.

“I learned the grass isn't always greener on the other side,” Beeten said. “I learned Clark is a great place and always was a great place. I didn’t leave Clark. I left for a different opportunity (in California) that wasn't the right fit.”

Clark lost in the large-school state championship game in 2017, surrendering an eight-point lead to Bishop Gorman in the final two minutes. A few weeks after the season, coach Colin Darfour was informed by school officials he wouldn’t be returning.

Clark returns many of its key contributors, players such as rising seniors James Bridges and Trey Woodbury, and is widely considered the favorite to win state in 2018.

Beeten was in the stands for the state-championship game loss to Gorman and compares the disappointment to five years earlier when Clark surrendered a double-digit lead in the championship game against Desert Pines.

"I was drained emotionally like I was coaching," Beeten said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21