Rick Mintken, former assistant girls basketball coach at Millard West, is Bellevue West’s new girls basketball head coach, Principal Kevin Rohlfs and new Activities Director John Mauro announced Thursday afternoon.

“It’s been a whirlwind twenty-fours. My world has changed so much but I’m very excited about it,” Mintken said.

Mintken will succeed two-year head coach Marc Kruger, who is leaving for the Millard West girls head coaching position.

“Bellevue West has a very strong girls basketball tradition,” Mintken said.  “I’d like to continue the intensity Bellevue West has played on defense. They get up in your face and offensively they run some of the same stuff I’d like to run.”

For the last seven years Mintken has taught eighth grade American History and has been assistant and junior varsity coach for the Wildcats. Along with the responsibilities of coaching the girls basketball team Mintken will teach American History at Bellevue West.

“We needed a high character individual, someone coming from a winning program, has worked with girls basketball before, someone is going to be a great role model and a great leader. And we found that in Coach Mintken from Millard West,” Mauro said.

Mintken hasn’t yet assembled a coaching staff for his first season.

“We are still in the process of seeing who wants to stay on and balancing their families. I have a couple names but nothing too set in stone. I have some people helping me, but it’s such a commitment getting the right people for the job,” Mintken said.

Mintken likes the small-town feel of Bellevue, similar to where he grew up in Louisville, Nebraska.

“The Bellevue community is tight knit, for example the Bellevue East and West rivalry, you get that sense of community and I love that,” Mintken said.

Nick Wilkinson
Sports Editor