The head of Greenville High School varsity basketball has a new face.

Stu Stuedeman has been named head coach at Greenville High School, following his official approval at the Butler County Board of Education meeting Tuesday night.

Stuedeman comes to Greenville from Mountain Brook High School, where he served as assistant varsity basketball coach and director of basketball operations for the previous two seasons under head coach Bucky McMillan, winning a state championship in 2015 and advancing to the Northeast Regional Semifinals in 2016.

Stuedeman said that the opportunity to become a head coach was an opportunity that proved too alluring to ignore.

“The reason why I’m coming to Greenville is that I am just extremely excited about the opportunity to be a head coach,” Stuedeman said. “When I interviewed with Coach McLendon, I was blown away by his passion for Greenville High School and the city of Greenville, and I know that he wants every single sports team at Greenville to be dynamite and to be great.  That passion was very infectious.

“On top of that, the opportunity to be the head coach of a varsity boys basketball team at a Class 5A level was just something I couldn’t pass up.  I’m extremely excited to be here and build this basketball program to one of the best in the state.”

One of Stuedeman’s immediate and most challenging goals is elevating the basketball program to the same heights as Greenville’s illustrious football program.

“Make no bones about it; Greenville is a football town,” Stuedeman said.

“But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a basketball passion.  I think at the end of the day, these people love their community, love their school and love their kids that are out there grinding and competing for Greenville High School.  So I think that if we put a product on the floor that is fun to watch and entertaining, they’re going to be infatuated with Greenville basketball.”

Stuedeman has wasted no time in preparing for the coming season, as Friday afternoon marked the close of his second week with the team during summer workouts.

Stuedeman’s system for the Tigers aims to put an emphasis on a stifling defense that will not only prove practical, but exciting to watch.

“We’re going to be a baseline-to-baseline full-court defensive pressure team the whole game,” Stuedeman said.

“We’re going to start guarding teams when they get off the bus.  We’re going to be a big-time, help-side, defensive basketball team, and when we get the ball, we’re looking to push the rock and make plays in transition.  My goal for all of our teams is to be the most unselfish team out there, the hardest playing team out there and the most fearless team out there.  That’s the type of basketball you’re going to get when you come watch Greenville play.”