Most first-year head coaches might spend their time figuring out how to run the program. Kevin Hacker has other plans.

Hacker has a plan in place as he takes over as the boys head basketball coach for the Ironton St. Joseph Flyers.

"Defense and ballhandling are priorities. We have to eliminate our turnovers. That's number one," Hacker said.

"A lot of those problems were due to our youth. People just wore us down and then it was turnover after turnover."

The Flyers started two freshmen and two sophomores last season. The only upperclassman to start was first team All-Ohio center Shawn Hacker who will play this fall at Shawnee State.

Hacker is undaunted despite the task ahead.

"I'm excited. I've been wanting to do this for a while. I'm looking forward to it," Hacker said. "We have a good core of kids. We had some good freshmen last year. We had some sophomores who will be juniors."

Another problem facing Hacker is limited numbers. St. Joseph has less than 40 boys in the high school.

"I'd like to get up and down the floor, but you have to have the numbers and we don't have those numbers right now. And without Shawn, there's no pounding it in the middle," Hacker said. "I'd like to have eight or nine we can run in there."

Without the inside game of Shawn Hacker, coach Hacker said "we'll have to look more to the outside shot."

Hacker replaces Adam Simpson who resigned due to family commitments. Hacker coached the past three seasons with Simpson and the previous season under Kevin Sheridan.

"I learned some things from both of them. I'm going to use a little bit from Adam and a little from coach Sheridan," Hacker said.