After 15 years as an assistant, Jess Raby is stepping into a new role at Stone Memorial.
Raby takes over the Panthers’ boys basketball program after longtime coach Neil Capps stepped down after last season. Raby said while there is added responsibilities to becoming the new head coach, the excitement of leading the Panthers has not wavered.
“Some people would say there’s more headache, there’s more logistics, but I kind of, I enjoy doing that,” Raby said. “I enjoy some of the organizational aspects of it, but I’ve really enjoyed the first month or so.”
Raby used his first months to prepare and schedule the regular season before beginning practices in May. Since that time, Raby said the fun has truly begun.
“[Basketball] is the whole reason you get into this,” Raby said. “I’ve really been, I’ve enjoyed it, getting to know the guys, of course knowing them but kind of getting to know them on this level and them getting to know me.”
On the court, Raby has emphasized teaching offensive fundamentals while introducing new wrinkles to the Panthers’ playbook. Raby said he envisions running a new offense this season.
“I’m a big believer in not trying to run things until you know it,” Raby said. “I’ve been doing a lot of teaching of offensive techniques where we can run an open offense with a lot of different things based on reads and a number of other things like that.”
Raby said though the process is still unfolding, he and his players have embraced the adjustments. Stone Memorial’s first game is scheduled for November 18.
