Jennifer Buscher, who has been a varsity assistant coach in Portland and has been affiliated with AAU youth basketball in Vancouver the past five years, has been hired as the girls basketball coach at Skyview High School.
“Basketball has been a formidable force in my own life,” Buscher said. “It has taught me many life lessons. I am passionate about teaching that to young, female student athletes. The gym is the largest classroom in the school.”
Buscher replaces Steve Hook, who resigned after guiding the Storm for eight seasons. Under Hook, the Storm had back-to-back state tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008, placing fifth in 2008. Skyview won the past two Class 4A Greater St. Helens League titles as well as one district tournament championship. The Storm were 137-63 and never had a losing season under Hook.
Buscher, 33, graduated from Crook County High School in Prineville, Ore., before playing college basketball at Portland State. She is a teacher at David Douglas High School in Portland, where she previously was an assistant varsity coach.
Jim Condon, Skyview’s athletic director, said Buscher’s college playing background, as well as her teaching and coaching skills at different levels, led to the school’s search committee decision to select her.
“She’s got a passion for the sport. That’s the kind of coach we wanted,” Condon said.
This will be Buscher’s first varsity head coaching job. She joked that she is undefeated as a varsity coach.
“I am really excited about this opportunity,” she said. “One of my goals is I want to build an entire program.”
That includes, she said, helping with the youth programs in the Skyview community.
Buscher lives in Portland and for the immediate future will continue teaching at David Douglas. She understands it is easier for a head coach to be on campus, but she said she will rely on help from her assistant coaches.
“I’m not afraid of hard work. I realize there are going to be challenges,” Buscher said. “Eventually, I see myself teaching at Skyview High School.”
Buscher appears to be inheriting quite a strong team. Three sophomores — Maddie Van Liew, Katie Swanson, and Brooke Bowen — were selected to the first-team in all-league voting this past season. Another sophomore, Nikki Bond, who was injured for much of this past season, was all-region as a freshman.
