Millard North didn’t look far for the Mustangs next boys basketball coach. Wednesday, Mike Etzelmiller was named the sixth boys basketball coach in school history. 

“I am excited to get back to work. We won’t change a ton of things and we will continue doing the things we’ve been doing,” Etzelmiller said. “It’s a great job. How often do you get to take over a program that has won back-to-back state titles. Taking over for the Dean of basketball (Tim Cannon) is a challenge. I am excited for the opportunity. I’m excited to get going.”

Etzelmiller has been an assistant coach at Millard North for the last 13 years, his entire professional career. He coached under the previous two Mustang head coaches, Chip Bahe for four years and Tim Cannon the previous nine. 

“The one thing I can take away from coach Cannon is relationships mean a lot,” he said. “I’ve been given more responsibilities over the years and it gave me a different perspective and I’ve learned a lot from it. I’m in a great spot and a lot of head coaches have been here and there is a big tree of coaches that coach Bahe and Cannon have started from.”

A 2004 Hastings High graduate, Etzelmiller played for his dad in high school and collegiately at Hastings College. He understands the big shoes he will fill and the team the Mustangs will return next season. 

“We have eight seniors and it will be a whole new team,” he said. “There will be opportunities for guys to step up and I still think we have as good of a shot as anybody else.”