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Athletics

Petersen Ready for First Game as Head Coach at Kirkwood

By November 1, 2013November 20th, 2018No Comments

Taylor Olson

Former Eagle and Cyclone expects big things for upcoming season

Kirkwood Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bryan Petersen is set to make his head-coaching debut as the Eagles open the season Friday in Sedalia, Mo. at the State Fair Classic.

Petersen, an assistant coach last year, moves into the role of interim head coach after Doug Wagemester decided to step away from coaching to concentrate on his Athletic Director duties. Petersen isn’t fazed by his new responsibilities and is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

“Coach Wagemester built this program into a perennial power in the Midwest and we plan on keeping it that way,” said Petersen. “I am approaching each day as a chance to get better as a coach and push this team in a positive direction. My goal is to get this group to achieve more in the classroom, on the floor and off the floor. These players are very special to me because they are my first team as a head coach. I want to help them reach their potential.”

This season the Eagles are looking to their returning sophomore letter winners to provide much needed leadership on a fairly young team. Taylor Olson, who played locally at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, will be joined by Jalen Currie (Milwaukee, Wis.) and JC Fuller (Sioux City, Iowa) as the veterans expected to lead the team. Petersen likes what he has seen from them so far.

“They have done a good job of setting the tone and letting the new players know how we do things here in our program,” said Petersen. “They need to continue to grow as leaders of our team.”

The incoming freshman class has some familiar names to those that follow local high school basketball. Myzeah Batie-Gaddy and Austin Swank both were apart of Iowa City West’s back-to-back state title teams. In addition, Matt Lassen and Joe Weeks played at Linn Mar and Solon respectively. Nine other freshmen join the squad including 6-foot-11-inch Center Henry Uwadiae who hails from Benin City, Nigeria.

“I’m excited about the talent level and versatility from our young players,” said Petersen. “I also think that the class has a lot of depth. It has made our practices very competitive which will help us improve.”

The Eagles begin the season versus College of Faith (West Memphis, Ark.) at 3:30 p.m. on Friday in Sedalia, Mo. Kirkwood’s home opener is November 6 versus John Wood Community College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Johnson Hall.