Ackerman takes over as CHS girls hoops coach

Todd Ackerman has been a successful high school coach in several different sports at various levels.

But he admits it's nice to return to coaching the sport that he considers to be his best. Ackerman has been chosen as the new Carson High girls basketball coach, replacing Ric Garcia.

"The opportunity is a wonderful opportunity," Ackerman said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of the success they've had in the girls program and hopefully to build on it. I think I have the knowledge, the skills to take over this program."

Ackerman has had plenty of success as a head coach in other sports at Carson, including cross country and track. Ackerman served as an assistant coach in track for six years before becoming the head boys and girls track coach for the past seven years. During the last two years, Ackerman has led Carson's girls to NIAA State 4A runner-up finishes.

Now Ackerman faces a difficult decision on if to continue as the track coach along with coaching girls basketball.

"That is tentative," said Ackerman on if he'll continue to coach track. "That's not 1 100 percent.

"I haven't made that decision, yet. It will be made soon. I have to take a look at how much time this is going to take."

Ackerman said coaching girls basketball will cut down on his time to prepare for the track season and he doesn't know if that's going to be fair to the athletes in the program. "That will be the big factor," said Ackerman on if he continues to coach track.

Carson athletic director Diane Baker Roberts said she hopes Ackerman will still coach track. For now she's happy to have Ackerman as the girls basketball coach.

"We're excited for the program and for him," Roberts said. "He's put his time in as an assistant. We think he was deserving of it. He's got some great ideas."

Ackerman has also been an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Carson and had two stints as the junior varsity boys basketball coach, including this past season. He also served for two years as an assistant varsity girls basketball coach to Werner Christen at Douglas.

Ackerman said he plans to conduct an informal summer program intended to give him a chance to meet with parents and to give him an idea who will be coming out for the team.

Before coming to Carson, Ackerman posted a 102-70 record in seven seasons as Lovelock's head varsity boys basketball coach. He took over a program that had won four games the previous season and in his fourth year led it to the NIAA State Tournament. He was also Northern 2A Coach of the Year twice.

He grew up in Montana and played basketball for two years at Montana's Miles Community College and graduated from Western Montana College.

He's also taken high school boys basketball teams on international trips to places such as Hong Kong and Denmark and said he hopes to eventually do the same with the Carson girls program.

Ackerman, who's a math teacher at Carson, favors an up tempo style of play. "I only walk it if I have to," he said. "Definitely we'll come out and play some type of pressure. We'll look to push the ball under control."