Boys basketball: Alum Tanner Houska to take reins at Highland

GRANGER TWP. — For the first time since the program's founding in 1952, the Highland boys basketball team will be led by one of its own. One of the greatest point guards in school history, Tanner Houska, will be recommended to be approved as the 20th coach in school history at the June 26 board meeting. The 2015 graduate will replace Adam Cestaro, whose contract was not renewed after going 13-11 with no seniors last winter and owning a 102-89 record at the school. Houska took the winter off to focus on his career with Client Development for Collective Intelligence, where the 26-year-old works in account managing, but compiled a 33-8 record as freshman coach under Cestaro from 2020-22. Many of those players will be incoming juniors and seniors, meaning a transitional period will be greatly accelerated. "I'm filled with gratitude," Houska said Wednesday. "It's an opportunity that I've dreamed about, and now I'm coming full circle to coach at the school I'm so passionate about and for the program that means so much to me." Houska, whose father on the school board, Mike, will abstain from voting at the June 26 meeting, is a lifelong Sharon Township resident whose passion revolved around Highland basketball. The speedy, physical left-hander scored 1,024 points in a school-record 92 games from 2011-15, helping the Hornets to a surprise Suburban League championship in 2014. Houska played one year at Baldwin Wallace University before transferring to the University of Akron, where he graduated with a degree in business administration. He spent part of last winter in Tampa, Fla., for work, but the ability to fulfill his duties remotely allowed him the opportunity to pursue his dream job as Highland coach. With Medina County Sports Hall of Fame coach Keith Sooy expected to return as an assistant, Houska can't wait to get started. Former Massillon Jackson standout Tyler Dunn also has agreed to join the staff, with another addition likely before the season. "No. 1, I'm going to lean on my staff," Houska said. "I have one of the most successful coaches in Medina County history and Northeast Ohio history (Sooy). I'll be eager to learn and grow as a coach. Ultimately, we'll make sure we're adapting and changing as things go. We'll make mistakes, but we'll move forward as a staff and as a team." Highland came into last season as a bit of an unknown in the SL American Conference but contended for a large chunk of the season. Versatile center Hunter Winston, an Ohio baseball recruit, was the conference player of the year, veteran forward Maddox Albright averaged double digits and sophomores Noah Radigan and Landon Sooy also are slated to return as starters, though Radigan is coming off ACL reconstruction surgery. Houska's teams as a player were known for high-powered transition offenses under coach Michael Murphy, but Houska faithfully followed Cestaro's half-court system as freshman coach. Houska prefers to remain open-minded about offensive and defensive philosophies but added the Hornets will play with more tempo. "First and foremost, we're going to compete extremely hard," he said. "It's going to look a little different in style of play. We're not going to always get up and down, but we're going to use our athletes to the best of our ability. Year to year, it's not going to look the same. We're going to adjust to the personnel we have in the school at the time. We're going to compete at an extremely high level." Highland also interviewed Green assistant Bobby Staudt and Medina freshman coach Carl Walcher for a second time on Friday. It sent emails to other candidates Tuesday evening informing them that the Hornets had their man and that he accepted their offer. Houska was that man. "It's a great group of kids," he said. "They're super enjoyable to be around, and they're all extremely coachable. That was a big appeal to me. Returning the top eight (players) is something any first-time head coach would be attracted to while taking a job. "The overall basketball knowledge of the group as a whole excites me the most, going back to coaching them a couple years ago. Even at the freshman level, they were able to learn on the fly. Their overall basketball knowledge stands out to me the most." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.