NORTON SHORES, Mich. — After 14 years as an assistant coach at Muskegon, Louis Murray is getting the chance to lead his own team.
Murray was hired this week as the head boys basketball coach at Mona Shores High School. It will be a change after spending over a decade with the Big Reds and a short stint at Holton High School.
The Norton Shores native played at Muskegon from 1996-2000 where he played on the 1999 team that went to the state quarterfinals. He also played at Muskegon Community College.
Murray also coaches a local AAU team and does private strength training sessions for area athletes, so many of the players on his new Sailor squad already know him. He hopes that those relationship will help foster a successful program that will win countless games every year.
"Relationships are everything. I believe the reason that I'm here is because of relationships, things have kind of aligned for me. Everything is done with love. I believe that is the foundation and if people can feel that love and see that love I think that's something they want to be apart of. So I'm happy to be the facilitator of that and kind of spread that love with a positive growth and mindset," said Murray.
Athletic Director Todd Conrad said that immediately Louis was their No. 1 choice in the hiring process. His connections to the community paired with his excellent coaching career made him the ideal candidate.
"He was at one place for a long time and that's what we need here. We need someone to invest in this basketball program and be here for a long time. We've been through quite a few coaches in the last handful of years so staying power and that pumped off the page in terms of his resume," said Todd Conrad.
The Sailors were 5-18 last season.
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