“I’m ready for the challenge and hopefully the girls are too,” Springer said.
Springer served as an assistant coach at Bethel from 1994 to 2002 under head coach Steve Fisher. The Bees won the 2001 state championship.
He later became the head girls basketball coach at Wayne High School and most recently served as an assistant coach at Bethel under former player Brett Kopp for the past five seasons.
He’s taught for seven years at Northwestern, but recently decided to return to coaching now that his children are older.
“I know the kids that are coming back and I know last year was a struggle for them,” Springer said. “I’ve had almost all of these kids in class. They’re good kids. They’re young, but they’re good athletes. We’ve got some good athletes coming up. They’ll compete. Hopefully, getting better each day and competing will lead to some wins.”
The Warriors hope to play an up-tempo style, Springer said.
“In high school, you have to fit your style to the kids that you have,” he said. “We do have athletes. I’ve seen all of these kids moving in various activities we have in the gym. We’re athletic. Hopefully, we have the ability to get up-and-down the floor a little bit. I like to get up-and-down the floor. It’s fun.”
Northwestern graduated five seniors and didn’t have any juniors last winter, meaning the majority of its returners are underclassmen. The Warriors are seeking their first winning season since going 17-8 in 2016.
Springer said the program will focus on the getting better each and every day.
“We just want to get better every day,” Springer said. “We want to get out to practice, get to work, improve on a daily basis. I know it sounds cliché, but if we can focus on the process and play the right way, wins will take care of themselves.”
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