WS Chronicle

The Parkland Mustangs have found their new leader for the men’s basketball program. Chris Geter will now lead Parkland into battle on the hardwood.

Geter takes over after the school split with former head coach Travis Holcomb-Faye back in September of last year.  Initially Geter was an assistant on the staff, but after complications with getting their first candidate cleared, the Mustangs decided to go in a different direction by selecting Geter.

“I have always been on the grind and had aspirations to be a head varsity coach,” said Geter about being named head coach. “I actually went on several interviews for jobs that were open this past year and I just thank God for the opportunity and I just cashed in.”

Upon hearing he was selected for the position, Geter said he was excited and ready to get to work with the guys on the team.

“I was elated and grateful, because these opportunities are very hard to get,” he said. “I didn’t even care how it came about, I was just very grateful and appreciative of the opportunity and knew I would make the best of it.”

Even though he was hired late in the year, Geter is familiar with the players due to him previously being an assistant on the staff.  

“I met some of the guys, but it was a late turnaround because when they finally decided to hire a head coach, we were behind the eight ball,” he said. “I met a lot of the guys in the workouts we had and some of the guys played AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) with me as well.”

Geter is not a coach that accepts excuses from his players. He instead demands maximum effort and commitment on the court and in the classroom.

“My number one expectation is that we compete and give 110 percent effort every time we step on the court,” he continued. “Secondly, I expect them to be good athletes, but also good individuals in the classroom, because I know an education will take them a lot farther than a basketball.”

Geter has coached at several locations around the area prior to his head coaching position at Parkland. He has spent time at Glenn and Walkertown and has valuable lessons that he learned from both stops.

“At Glenn, I learned how to run a JV program; I learned a lot while I was there,” he said. “From there with coach (Kevin) Thompson, it kind of prepared me by being more of a student of the game and learning more of the Xs and Os of how to strategize and making adjustments in the game.  

“Coach Thompson showed me how to be a role model to the other coaches and not just the kids. I learned a lot from him.”

Even as an assistant, Geter has always prepared himself as a head coach, because he knew the opportunity would eventually come about and wanted to be ready when it did.

“It was a whirlwind, but I kind of always had the mindset, even when I was an assistant, that I wanted to prepare myself as the head coach, because you never know if the coach may get ejected or a situation may come up that I have to step up and be ready. I always tell myself if I am ready, I don’t have to get ready.”

Geter is still working on completing his coaching staff in preparation for the season. He says the staple for his team will be playing hard, great defense and speed.