For someone who wasn’t on the Riverside girls basketball coaching staff last year, Brian Fulton might be the person who is most familiar with the Beavers’ program.
That’s because he saw the girls playing or practicing every day in Riverside’s Community Fieldhouse as a member of the boys coaching staff.
Fulton has been named Riverside’s new head varsity girls coach, pending board approval next week. The 47-year-old has a long coaching history, most recently as a varsity assistant for the Riverside boys team.
“It’s a very exciting time,” Fulton said. “I have a great group of girls who have already been in the gym. We just completed summer league. They’re a bunch of sponges. They soak in everything we’re teaching. I can’t wait to get everything going and move forward with them.”
Not only did Fulton see the Riverside team often last year, whether it was watching the girls finish practice prior to boys practice beginning or watching them play a game immediately after the boys team practiced, but Fulton also has a history coaching a number of the current Riverside players.
When the current Riverside upperclassmen were in fourth and fifth grade, Fulton coached youth travel basketball.
Fulton is taking over for Mike Caldwell, who stepped down after this past season in which Riverside went 12-11 and was a contender in the Western Reserve Conference.
“I’ve done a lot of coaching at the younger level with travel girls basketball,” he said, “but this is my first time at the high school level.
“There’s really no difference between coaching boys and girls,” he continued. “They’re all eager, willing to work and very competitive.”
Fulton, who is not a teacher but rather works for a sign company in Lake County, knows he has a pretty good hand dealt to him. This year’s senior class includes Belle Bozic, Sam Volpe, Sophia Valvoda and Eleanore Busch, while the junior class consists of Savanah Laurenty, McKenna Thomas, Mary Grace Hendershot and his daughter, Sarah Fulton.
This is not the first time he has coached one of his children, having coached his son recently as well.
“It’s a unique line,” he said of being a dad and a coach. “Once you cross that line onto the court, that’s when you talk basketball. When you’re off that court, you don’t talk basketball. If you intermix the two, you’re not going to have happy kids.”
Speaking of making happy kids, Fulton said his style should be conducive to that.
“It’s been a great experience so far because their style meshes with mine,” he said. “It’s up-tempo. We’re not walking the ball up the floor — ever. I want a lot of high-pressure defense, getting steals and looking to score at the other end.
“They want to run and get after it. That matches what I want to do.”
He said he is still in the process of forming his high school staff.
Goals will be high, thanks to a load of experienced players returning.
“Yes, the bar is very high,” he said. “I know these girls are competitors. I can’t imagine our team goals being anything less than competing for the conference championship and a district championship. I really haven’t had the chance to discus the team goals, but I know they’ll be lofty.”
Riverside girls basketball: Brian Fulton named Beavers’ head coach, pending board approval - The News-Herald
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