Mascoutah looks within for new coach

Underwood has been freshman girls coach for past three seasons

After spending the past three seasons as the girls freshman basketball coach at Mascoutah High School, Dan Underwood has been promoted to varsity head coach.

Underwood, 35, has worked previously as an assistant coach at Althoff High and Southwestern Illinois College. He is a graduate of Belleville West High and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and teaches grade school physical education in Mascoutah.

"I'm really excited, and it's something I've really wanted to do," Underwood said. "I've coached the baseball team and the volleyball teams and I've enjoyed both of them, but girls basketball is something I really have a passion for.

"We have a good group of kids involved in the program now, and hopefully that will make for an easy and smooth transition in the first year."

Underwood replaces former coach Frank Evans, whose teams were 36-49 over the past three seasons with a 19-11 mark in Mississippi Valley Conference play.

The Indians were 9-19 overall last season and 5-5 in the league.

"We're not expecting Dan to come in and make world-beating changes in the first year," Mascoutah athletic director Henry Johnson said. "We'll give him some time to do that. I think he's got some good experience, and he's coached at all the different levels."

Underwood spent two years as an assistant under former Althoff coach Don Haida and two years working under Southwestern Illinois women's basketball coach Mike Juenger. He also worked previously as the athletic director and coached several sports at Queen of Peace Grade School in Belleville.

"I've been fortunate enough to be around a lot of good coaches from back at Althoff and with Coach Juenger at SWIC," said Underwood, who also admires the long-running success of girls basketball programs such as Edwardsville, Althoff, Okawville, Mater Dei, Nashville, Collinsville and both Belleville East and Belleville West.

"Every time you watch those kids play, you see they know exactly what they're supposed to be doing in every situation and where they're supposed to be."

Underwood will stress fundamentals, especially defense, shooting and conditioning.

"I think he's going to be good with the player development we're looking for," Johnson said. "We wanted someone that had a good understanding of basketball and development. He also has knowledge of our program; he's been our freshman coach and he knows what's coming up."

Mascoutah relied on a lot of underclassmen last season, and most of the team played for Underwood at the freshman level.

"The juniors were my first freshman group when I came to the school, so I have a pretty good rapport with them," he said. "We have some young kids that are pretty good players and a really good senior group coming in that have been successful in a lot of sports at the school."

Contact reporter Norm Sanders at nsanders@bnd.com or 239-2454.