By Greg Bates
Correspondent
SEYMOUR – Jon Murphy’s coaching tree keeps growing.
Derick Denny is the latest former player of Murphy’s from the Seymour boys’ basketball program to get a head coaching gig at the high school level.
Denny, who graduated from Seymour in 2008, accepted the Seymour girls’ basketball as the interim head coach this season.
This will be his first head coaching job.
He takes over for fellow Seymour alumnus Bobby Kuchta, who coached the girls’ program for four years before taking over the boys’ program following Murphy retiring after 33 years.
“It’s good to be back and share my information with these kids,” Denny said. “It’s a good feeling, especially a place where I had success.”
He got his start in coaching when he was a trainer for the Oneida Futures Youth Program.
He was on the staff where his sister’s sixth- and eighth-grade travel teams captured state titles in 2016 and ’18.
Since 2014, Denny has been a skills basketball field trainer, coaching some of the top female middle school and high school athletes in Seymour and around the Green Bay area.
“I had people helping me along my way and training me every day, so it’s giving back,” Denny said.
Seymour activities director Ryan Spaulding said Denny is personable and relatable.
“Derick will bring excitement to the program, will challenge our student-athletes and will be a leader who the girls will enjoy playing for,” Spaulding said. “He understands the big picture of high school athletics and will continue to have this be an overriding focus.”
Denny was on the 2005-06 state title team at Seymour.
He attended Kansas City Kansas Community College for two seasons, where he earned JUCO All-American status.
He signed with Division I Jacksonville State but never played there and transferred to Minnesota State, Mankato.
As a senior, he moved closer to home and capped his career at Lakeland University, averaging 14.2 points per game.
Denny is implementing a new screening-type offense – which is run by the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball program – this season.
“We have good shooters,” said the 31-year-old Denny. “We’re not big, so it’s giving the players opportunities if they’re patient with the offense to get an open shot at the top of the key. I think it’s going to be efficient.”
Because his team is small, Denny said he wants his players to transition offensively to get easy looks and not let the opponent settle into their half-court defense.
Seymour has had back-to-back seasons finishing below .500.
“With the hire being so late in the year, I have to dot my I’s and cross my T’s this season with it being an interim position,” Denny said. “I’m confident in my abilities to share and teach the game. I trust my coaching staff, and I’m completely bought in. I’d like to be here for years to come.”