Polson tabs Kelley as boys' coach

POLSON — Polson’s new boys’ basketball coach won’t be much of a new face.

Pending school board approval in early June, former Polson girls’ coach Randy Kelley will take over the boys’ program, Principal Rex Weltz announced last week.

Kelley coached the girls’ team through the 2012-13 season, stepping aside after that. He will replace Brad Pluff, who resigned after the season’s end.

“I missed it at times last year,” Kelley said. “I just felt like it was a good fit for me at this time. I think it’s probably going to be a good fit for the kids.”

He coached his son’s middle school-aged AAU team last year.

Kelley said he is excited to inherit a program that has gone to the Class A state tournamnet four out of the last five seasons.

“We’ve got some really good players, smart players. … The makeup of next year’s squad will be similar to last year’s,” he said of the Polson team that won four regular season games but capped the season with a Cinderella run to state in Great Falls. The Pirates went 1-2 at state.

Kelley said he will make some changes and that he’s already been opening the gym up for the boys to shoot around.

“We’ll be running a totally different offense,” he said. “The philosophy might change a little bit.”

The Pirates lose just two starters from last year’s team.