Boys’ basketball coach Kevin Parrish has stepped down after seven years of coaching. One of the longest tenured coaches in WJ basketball history, Parrish finishes his career as head of the basketball program with a final record of 61-72.
Parrish’s decision to step down comes after long consideration and evaluation. The AP Statistics and financial math teacher will continue to teach at Walter Johnson but will have no official role in the basketball program.
“There’s a variety of reasons [why I stepped down],” Parrish said. “I would say the main thing is that basketball is a very big time commitment. I tried to figure out a way to make it work because I love coaching, but at this point, the biggest reason is just the time commitment.”
The B-CC graduate was hired in 2018 and immediately impacted the program, turning around a four-win team the year prior into regional finalists and yielding the best record in WJ basketball history.
“I think when I first started at WJ, WJ was sort of at the bottom of the county when it comes to basketball, so being able to elevate us to be on par with the rest of the other teams in the county [was big],” Parrish said.
The impact the decade-long coach leaves is one of great magnitude. Although his final record might not be eye-popping, he transformed the WJ boys’ basketball team into an ambitious, competitive program.
“It’s the end of an era,” Cufre said.
Assistant coach Chase Rieder was announced as the new head coach, filling the void that Parrish left.
Rieder’s resume is full of coaching experience throughout WJ, as he served as the head coach for the JV boys’ basketball team, assistant coach for girls’ flag football, assistant coach for the boys’ varsity basketball team and the head coach of the boys’ tennis team.
“I’ve always been part of the WJ community. I own and direct the WJ Basketball Camp for the past 11 years and I teach at North Bethesda Middle School,” Rieder said. “I have created relationships throughout the years with students, parents and community members. It’s truly special to come back to the school I love, to the sport I love, and the community I was born and raised in to help these student athletes and the basketball program succeed.”
The players were initially distraught with the news of Parrish stepping down; however, the news of Rieder’s hiring brings new eagerness and anticipation to the senior led team.
“I’m definitely excited. This is who we all wanted when we heard the job was opening,” junior Jake Forburger said.
Basketball has always played a role in Rieder’s life. His eyes were set on working in the basketball industry since he was little.
“I have lived and breathed basketball since I was a little kid, and I started coaching basketball when I was in college,” Rieder said. “Coaching is a rewarding job, and my goal is to make sure every kid that I coach has a memorable experience being part of our team.
“I was very emotional as my dream came through. I had to really soak it in as this was a goal of mine for a long time.”
Players on the team are prepared to rise to the challenge set by Rieder.
“I think with Rieder coming in, the program is going to be way different,” sophomore Connor Luecking said. “Way more intense and focused on making a better team.”
Rieder will look to turn around a Wildcats team coming off a subpar 5-17 season, starting the season with an eight-game losing streak. The Cats hung their heads for a majority of the season, rarely finding an opportunity to turn their confidence around.
“We need to keep getting better at basketball,” Forburger said. “We need to focus on playing team basketball. The thing that held us back from winning was not playing together and not scoring points. The thing that kept us in the games was our defense.”
