Lancaster, Pa.— McCaskey girls basketball coach Brian McCloud will retire at the end of the season, it was announced today. McCloud won 213 games for the Red Tornado, including district and section championships in 2006.
“It’s time,” McCloud said, at the end of a coaching career that spans more than three decades. “Athletics were good to me, so I wanted to share that experience with others and to try to make a difference in people’s lives. I love sports, and I believe they help with the growth of our young people.”
Red Tornado alumni, family, and friends are invited to a celebration of McCloud’s retirement prior to the girls’ final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m.
McCloud’s first coaching gig came in 1990, when he coached the Reynolds Middle School team. Three years later, he became a volunteer assistant with McCaskey’s varsity team, and rose through the assistant coaching ranks until becoming head coach in 2004.
He promptly coached a string of 1,000-point scorers—Jamie McDonald in 2004, Sasha Williams in 2007, and Teasia Peña in 2008. His last 1,000 point scorer was Ahnera Parker, who starred on McCloud’s last championship team, in 2015.
“I was fortunate to play for Coach McCloud, and his longevity and success speaks to the relationships he has built over a 20-year coaching career,” said Peña, now McCaskey’s athletic director. “I’ve told Coach there will always be a place for him at McCaskey, and I hope he will continue to teach the game.”
Peña said McCaskey will post the position in the coming weeks and begin a wide search for the school’s next head girls basketball coach.