The Broken Bow schools athletic department announced this week that Keaton Klimek has been named the new Broken Bow boys basketball head coach. Klimek replaces coach Nate Olson who announced after the season that he would be stepping down as head boys basketball coach. Klimek, a graduate of Burwell high school, visited with KCNI/KBBN sports about being named Broken Bow boys head basketball coach and shared what drew him to the position.
“I’m originally from Burwell so Broken Bow is a very familiar place for me. My mom commuted to Broken Bow and worked at the hospital for many years when I was in elementary and high school years so I’ve always kind of had that connection to Broken Bow through her. I got the chance to play on a freshman team for Anthony Blum when he was the coach there at Broken Bow just before he unfortunately passed away. A lot of connections to the Broken Bow area just kind of a place I could see myself growing a family there. They gave me the opportunity to be the head boys coach. This is my first job so super excited.”
This is Klimek’s first head coaching job. He has spent several years as a member of the Kearney High boys basketball staff. He said his time learning under Kearney head coach Drake Beranek makes him feel well prepared to take on the challenge of becoming a head coach.
“For seven years I was a part of the Kearney high boys staff. Two years I volunteered in college. One year when I taught I was the head reserve coach. For four years I was the head JV coach at Kearney High under Drake Beranek. Being around him and seeing the passion that he has for basketball and for kids it taught me a lot about the coaching side of basketball. I grew up playing the game forever but when you see it from a different perspective of a coach you really grow to love the game a different way. Taking everything that I learned from him and being able to one day implement that into my program was always a dream of mine so I learned a lot from him and just kind of excited to try it on my own.”
Klimek said that, while you have to sometimes adjust your coaching philosophy around the ability and strengths of your team, he hopes to bring a fun up and down style of play to Broken Bow.
“You definitely have to adapt your philosophy to the type of athlete and kids you have but basketball comes down to being, in my opinion, the ultimate team game. You’ve got five guys on the court and then your bench guys still have to be engaged in the game. Playing an exciting and enjoyable style of basketball is something I like. I like to get up and down. Run in transition in offense. Get up and pressure in defense in the full court and then being super fundamentally sound. You know if you watch the good teams in the C1 ranks, the Ashland Greenwoods and the Auburns They play with two feet on the ground at all times two hands on the ball just super fundamentally sound. Those are just some of the things that come to mind when I think of basketball. Just playing a fun style of basketball is what I want to bring to Broken Bow.”
Broken Bow activities director Jeff Ellis said in a statement, “We are extremely excited to welcome coach Klimek to the district as both a secondary math teacher and our new head boys basketball coach…I can’t wait to see our boys basketball program flourish under coach Klimek’s leadership.”
Listen to our full interview with coach Keaton Klimek
