Alex Ranney knows the day is coming, one where he will glance down the sideline and see a coach with as many years of experience as he is years old.
Such is the territory for a 25-year-old head coach at the varsity level.
Ranney, a 2017 Lake Mills High School graduate, was tabbed last month to head up the Cambridge boys basketball program, replacing Mike Jeffery who stepped down in April after guiding the program for six seasons.
“I’m really excited,” Ranney said. “I knew I wanted to be a head coach, but I didn’t think it would happen this quickly. I was shocked originally when I saw the position was open.
“I didn’t want to leave Lake Mills unless a perfect job opened up. I talked to my family and realized Cambridge would be a perfect opportunity.”
Ranney, who will continue in his role teaching elementary physical education in the Lake Mills Area School District, played collegiately at UW-Platteville for five seasons, graduating in 2022.
His standout prep career at Lake Mills included hitting a pivotal late 3-pointer against Adams-Friendship in a 2017 sectional final, as the L-Cats went on to reach the program’s first state tournament.
Ranney’s basketball coaching career includes serving as junior varsity coach and varsity assistant at Lake Mills for the past two seasons. He also coached the L-Cats’ JV1 baseball team while assisting with coaching duties for football and cross country.
“I was fortunate to have very good coaching when I was playing,” Ranney said. “Steve Hicklin and Ryan Benish at Lake Mills and Jeff Gard at UW-Platteville are my coaching mentors. I think the biggest thing I learned from Steve and Ryan was just the importance of creating a winning culture. It starts with getting guys in the gym and the weight room and then it’s about teaching guys how to win. That’s not only on the court but off the court too.
“In moving back to Lake Mills, Steve, Ryan and Jason McConnell helped teach me a ton on the basketball side of things. Head football coach Tyler Huber and head baseball coach Adam Hosey helped me learn more about the administrative side of things, which was really beneficial.”
Ranney inherits a team that went 10-15 last season but brings back ample varsity-level experience. Matt Buckman, a 6-foot-4 guard who won Capitol South Player of the Year honors last year after averaging 25.7 points per game and is the program’s all-time leading scorer, headlines a returning Blue Jays bunch that includes four of the team’s top-five leading scorers from last season.
“Just walking in and watching open gyms, I was in awe of the athleticism on this team with Buckman, Kiefer Parish and Drew Holzhueter,” Ranney said. “Those three seniors are good athletes, and we’ve got a good group around them. Just those three from a pure athleticism standpoint are going to help us win a lot of games.
“For me now, I just have to teach the game of basketball. I don’t have to teach them to be athletes. One of the big reasons I wanted to come to Cambridge is because I’ve seen some of the talent that’s come through this high school.”
Ranney’s teams aren’t going to be afraid to push the pace or fire from beyond the arc.
“We’re going to be a team-focused group on offense and defense,” Ranney said. “If we want to reach our goals, we have to have everyone on the floor be a scoring threat. We’ll take pride in our defense, being in gaps, finishing possessions and then we’re going to get out and run.
“I still have that Lake Mills blood in me and we’ll shoot plenty of 3s.”
With his playing days behind him, coaching gives Ranney an outlet to compete, but he was equally drawn to the profession because of how it allows him to give back and forge relationships with student-athletes.
“I’m a big competitor,” Ranney said. “Not everyone can be blessed with the chance to have good coaches. That’s something I want to pass on to future kids playing the game of basketball.”
Ranney’s already received good advice from two other Cambridge head coaches, Doug Pickarts of the girls basketball team and Rob Nelles of the football team.
“It’s easy to be successful when you’re surrounded by successful people,” Ranney said.
Cambridge activities director Denise Stenklyft pointed to Ranney’s background in the game and commitment to excellence on and off the floor as top characteristics that made him an attractive choice for the position.
“Alex brings with him years of combined club and high school coaching experience,” Stenklyft wrote in an email to CHS families recently.
“He has also played at the collegiate level. His passion for the game, dedication to player development and commitment to fostering a culture of teamwork and sportsmanship make him the ideal leader for our program. We are confident that our team will continue to grow and thrive on and off the basketball court.”
The Blue Jays have been busy competing on the summer basketball circuit, and Ranney’s seen plenty of positives within the program during that time.
“The boys have been bought into everything so far,” Ranney said. “The work ethic from our high school seniors down to our seventh graders is impressive.
“This is a town that loves basketball and wants to be good at basketball.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0