By Rachael Sutherland Special to the Intermountain Catholic
OGDEN —Rick Stoeckl has been named the new head coach for Saint Joseph Catholic High School’s boys’ basketball team. The appointment was made May 20.
Stoeckl, formerly the coach at Weber High School, is a Jayhawk alum – he played basketball all four years of his high school career, from 1971-1975, receiving the Standard Examiner’s Gold Watch Sports Award. He also was voted to the All-State Boys Basketball team.
"I loved the way the ball rotated during the shot and the sound of the net after a perfect swish. … I was hooked," Stoeckl said.
He returned to St. Joseph in 1989, coaching both boys’ and girls’ basketball until 2006. He was the first coach to take the girls’ team to the 1A State Championship in 1996, and was named Region 17’s Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003.
In 2006, he was inducted into the St. Joseph Athletic Hall of Fame.
Voted the Utah High School Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year in 1995, Stoeckl said he looks forward to again coaching for St. Joseph CHS and instilling traditions into the players.
"My coaching style is all about the players and team," he said. "I will show them what is takes to be successful, and they will have to decide how hard they want to work to be successful. I will push them and coach them to the best of my ability."
In addition to his years at St. Joseph Catholic High School, Stoeckl coached Weber High’s girls’ basketball team from 2010-2013. As head coach in 2012, he led the Warriors to second place in the 5A State Championship.
The decision to leave Weber High was very difficult, Stoeckl said. "I love those girls so much and the parents there were so supportive. We were building a great program there and the girls worked so hard, but it came down to time. The time commitment at the 5A level is big and I wasn’t sure I could hold up to it. Coming back to St. Joseph, where I started coaching in 1989, was intriguing. And to coach and learn from a great coach like (St. Joseph girls’ basketball coach) Joe Cravens is exciting and was definitely a factor in my decision. I’m excited to see where we can take this program and appreciate the opportunity."
Rachael Sutherland is a junior at St. Joseph Catholic High School.
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