Baumgartner resigns as GHS head boys basketball coach
GILROY – One season after guiding the Gilroy High boys basketball team to a league championship and a magical run into the Central Coast Section Quarterfinals, head coach Michael Baumgartner has resigned from his position.
“It was a tough decision,” said Baumgartner, who was the head varsity coach the last five seasons of his six-year stint at Gilroy High. “It was a tough personal decision – something that I don’t think has hit me quite yet.”
Baumgartner – who spent one year teaching special education at Brownell Academy and the previous five years at the high school – wants to pursue his masters degree in kinesiology at San Jose State University and also enter the college’s graduate assistant coaching program.
“I’ve got to get back to school. If I don’t do it now, I never will. I had to resign. I didn’t want to. It’s just one of those life choices,” said Baumgartner, who received his undergraduate degree at San Jose State as well. “It’s tough, but I want to go to the next level (in coaching) and I can’t do it without me going to school. I can’t give my full effort doing both.”
Baumgartner told the school administration in May that he would not be returning as head basketball coach, but the hardest thing was telling his players.
“It needed to be made right away so I did it,” Baumgartner said. “The toughest part was telling the kids. I don’t think it’s hit me yet.”
Although his Gilroy High squad struggled last year – winning only one league game – Coach Baumgartner won a share of the Monterey Bay League the season before, finishing with an 18-9 overall record. That championship team – which played out Baumgartner’s defensive style of ball to perfection – won two CCS Playoff games before suffering a heartbreaking loss in the quarterfinals to Andrew Hill.
“That was awesome,” said Baumgartner, who got to raise the league championship banner at Gilroy High last year. “I will never forget a season like that. I had great kids and we had a wonderful record. It was a season as a coach and a player that you don’t tend to forget.”
The following year, the Mustangs were ravaged by graduation – returning only one player from the title team. But Baumgartner said that the losing season did not factor in any way his decision to leave Gilroy High.
“If you look at the kids coming up, they’ve won five championships at all levels in the last four years. We’ve got some really amazing kids coming up,” said Baumgartner, who left the program to his assistants Shaun Wilhelm and Jay Baksa. “My assistants are still part of the program, helping out over the summer.”
In Baumgartner’s first season (1998-99), the Mustangs won six games. The next season, they won only three games. In the 2000-01 season, Gilroy won nine games and was one win away from qualifying for CCS. With a senior-laden group well-acquainted with his system back again, the Mustangs won the league title.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever equal that season, but I will sure try,” said Baumgartner, who was a candidate for the Gavilan College men’s basketball job before the start of last season. “I’m getting old. If I really want to coach at the next level, I have to do it now or I never will.”
Athletic Director Jack Daley could not be reached for comment – but the school has not announced a replacement for next season.
“I really enjoyed the staff at Gilroy High – the teachers and the coaches. It’s an amazing place to be able to work. They treat you so well,” Baumgartner said. “The student population really supports the program. The energy level at the high school made it so much fun. That’s what I’m going to miss the most.”
