By Jackson Santy ’13
THE ROUNDUP

Mr. Matt Hooten has had almost every coaching position with the basketball program.

“I spent my first four years as the freshman assistant coach, and two as the junior varsity assistant coach,” Mr. Hooten said.

Mr. Hooten is now the head JV coach.

“At the JV level, one of the biggest goals is to help players grow and develop into varsity players,” Mr. Hooten said.

Basing his coaching philosophy on a high competitive attitude, Mr. Hooten tries to “ignite the fire” within his players.

“We work with the players teaching them to grow as competitors. That’s a huge piece we try to show,” Mr. Hooten said.

“Unity at this level is very important in order to go to the varsity level,” said Mr. Hooten. “What I want to say after a game, win or lose, is did you play your best?”

Mr. Hooten grew up in the small town of Lake Oswego, Ore., just outside of Portland.

He graduated from Lake Oswego High School, the very same school that basketball players Salim Stoudamire and Kevin Love graduated from.

Mr. Hooten then went on to Claremont McKenna University in California, where he played on their JV basketball team.

Mr. Hooten began his coaching long before he came to Brophy. When he was still in high school, he began coaching in a summer camp league.

“I got really interested through doing that. When I moved to Arizona, I started coaching around the Valley,” he said.

When asked about his coach, JV forward Jake Kufel ’13, had nothing but good things to say.

“He is a coach that expects the best out of every player and will find any way possible to bring the best out of everyone,” said Kufel.

“I have all the respect in the world for coach Hooten … He is dedicated to what he does and understands his goals as well as ours,” Kufel said.

“On the court, he is a no nonsense guy with a drive to succeed. Off the court, he is just like any normal guy, he loves Harry Potter, and connects with his players really well,” Kufel said.