Robert Warrick was approved as Whitko’s varsity boys basketball coach at the Whitko School Board meeting Monday, August 19. Warrick is a physical education teacher at Whitko Junior Senior High School and was one of Chris Benedict’s assistant basketball coaches for the last two years. Chris Benedict stepped down as head boys basketball coach this summer; he remains the Whitko Career Academy Director. Warrick, who graduated from Adrian College with a bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2022, was coached by Benedict at Columbia City High School and went on to play for Adrian College. He’ll inherit five returning seniors off a 19-4 season, in his first varsity coach year. “I’m really excited to take over from Coach Benedict,” Warrick said. “I’m very familiar with the kids here, so the transition should be very, very smooth. We’re not going to change too much because we don’t have to fix something that’s not broken. “ In addition to assisting the high school boys’ basketball team, Warrick has helped develop Whitko’s youth basketball programs. “In his four years here, Coach Benedict established the feeder program,” said athletic director Barry Singrey. “This is a great opportunity for Coach Warrick. He’s been able to handle running a lot of that junior program for coach Benedict the last two years, so he’s familiar with it and I’m sure he’ll create new opportunities for the kids. “I have all the confidence in the world in Coach Warrick, who will continue to grow that program and I’m sure he’ll lead us in the right direction.” Warrick stepped into teaching after a year as assistant to Chris Neeley, Whitko Career Academy’s Construction Trades instructor. Now he’s Whitko’s strength and fitness trainer, a job he says gives him even more interaction with the students. “It gives me the opportunity to talk about the mental side, too. I can ask how they’re eating and sleeping, to make sure there’s a positive moment in each day, no matter what a season may look like,” Warrick said. “I want to make sure they talk positively about other students, other teammates. “I want the school to do well, not only in basketball, but in all our sports.”