Will Pope will lead the next era of boys basketball for Papillion-La Vista.

“I am excited for this opportunity. Joining a school and program that has an established tradition is something I look forward to,” Pope said. “I want to thank the administration at Papio for believing in me and also thank the SkyHawk family for their support over that last five years.”

Pope will lead his first program as a head coach. Prior to Papillion he was a varsity assistant at Skutt Catholic for five seasons.

“Will has had a variety of experiences to prepare him for this opportunity. He has been an integral part of Omaha Skutt’s success over the past five seasons and we are excited about the future of Monarch basketball under his leadership,” Papillion-La Vista Athletic Director Jason Ryan said in a press release.

Pope takes over for takes over for Dan Moore, who led the Monarchs to a 130-92 record in nine seasons including two state tournament appearances and a state runner-up finish in 2017.

“He is gonna bring a lot of passion. He works tirelessly to make whatever program he is a part of better. As he grew as a coach I handed bigger responsibilities to him that I knew he was ready for,” Omaha Skutt coach Kyle Jurgens said. “Even things that head coaches have to do. Every single one he handled without a problem. He is great with kids, works hard and develops relationships that allow him to challenge kids, he knows the game and will be great for Papio. They made a great decision.”

Prior to Skutt, Pope was an assistant at Elkhorn Mount Michael, Sidney High School, and an assistant at Chadron State College.