Rose Hill High School recently hired a new head basketball coach for the 2024-2025 season. Zach McDaniel will take over the basketball program at the high school and teach Special Education at the Primary and Intermediate schools.
“My fiance and I met in Wichita when I was at Friends University,” McDaniel said. “It was always in the cards to one day get back to Kansas. I set three goals for myself when I graduated college. The first was to be a Special Education teacher for high needs kids. The second was to be a High School Head Basketball Coach. The third and the most important was to find a woman I could marry and start a family with one day. I will have an opportunity to do all three while beginning a new chapter of my life at Rose Hill High School and the Butler County COOP.”
After playing college basketball, McDaniel switched back and forth from Kentucky and Kansas, coaching and assisting at multiple colleges and high schools. From Eastern Kentucky University, Hargrave Military Academy, Friends University, and Ballard Memorial High School to Rose Hill High School, McDaniel is excited for what his new path entails.
“I’m most excited to form new relationships with the kids, staff members, administration, families and the community,” McDaniel said. “I am not in this line of work for myself, it’s about the kids. I want to make a difference in every kid’s life that I come in contact with. Nobody is more positive and happy each day than me. It’s about the kids and teaching them life lessons that will help them become a better version of themselves.”
While what happens off the court is important, McDaniel is ready to educate and train his athletes on the court as well.
“Defense, that is what I believe wins games,” McDaniel said. “I want to Coach DOGS! Dudes that sit down and lock up for 32 minutes. Dive on loose balls, take charges, rebound and play as hard as they possibly can. No excuses, just play your tail off. I also believe in communication on the floor and off the floor. I talk about it every day in practice! My coaching style is playing FAST and having fun! I hope the community is ready to witness “The Most Exciting 32 Minutes in Basketball.”
McDaniel is passionate and ready to get to work this offseason, and has high expectations for the upcoming year.
“I want to win,” McDaniel said. “I expect my team to have the same mentality. Winning isn’t easy and if it was, everyone would go 25 and 0 each season. We will out work more talented teams, simply because we want it more than they do. I can’t wait to get into the gym with my new team and begin working towards a 4A State Championship. It’s a One Day at a Time process when building a culture. I was blessed the last two years with great fan support at Ballard Memorial. I am hoping to see the town of Rose Hill show up and show out for these boys at home games and away games.”
