Mosher hired as Cyclone boys basketball head coach

HARLAN — The Harlan Community School District has hired Dean Mosher to replace longtime  boys basketball coach Mitch Osborn.
“There was talk the last couple of years about who would follow Coach Osborn and when the time came,” Mosher said. “Especially this year, it was talked about more and more. When it finally came about I got the job, it was kind of surreal and it took me a little bit to really feel like it happened.”
Osborn, who lead the Cyclones to multiple state titles including the undefeated state champion 2004 team,  announced his retirement in January. Mosher knows he has some big shoes to fill and  is looking forward to the pressure that comes with it, and the fun of it as well.
“Knowing quite a few of the former players who have been through those teams especially Kevin [Osborn], Thomas Fink, and others I went to college with, you hear those stories and all you want to do is be a part of that and keep that going. Having it for not yourself, but the kids coming up. It puts pressure on, but in any good coach or program you’re going to want to put pressure on yourself no matter what the history was. For sure, it’s going to be tough to live up too.”
Mosher said his coaching style is similar to Osborn’s.
“I’ve learned a lot from him [Mitch] from the last five years setting up practices or sets up game plays,” he said. “It’s not about reinventing basketball because it’s worked for so long, but putting some of my touch on there. Go off of what we have from personnel year-to-year and feel how it goes through the season.”
Mosher has been with Harlan Community for five years, which includes coaching eighth grade, and three years of coaching the freshman squad under Osborn.
“I did two years for the eighth grade level and the last three with freshman, as well as helping with junior varsity and varsity a little bit here and there,” he added.
He also coached with G.G. Harris, the current head coach of the AHSTW Vikings boys basketball team, and Jason McCall, the head coach of the AHSTW Lady Vikings basketball team.
“It was great to learn from both of them and coach with those guys,” Mosher said of AHSTW coaches. “I did that five years at the freshman and junior varsity level, and then helped with varsity as an assistant.”
Mosher’s love of the game led him to pursue coaching.
“I’ve always loved basketball,” he said. “I love watching it. I grew up always playing. My older brother was a big basketball player. He played college for a little. I’ve always wanted to coach basketball, so I’m glad I’ve had the chance to do that at a couple of different levels and now it’s at the varsity level and I’m excited for the opportunity and what’s to come.”
The Cyclones recently finished Osborn’s final season where they finished with an overall record of 9-13, taking a first round exit in Regionals to the Glenwood Rams, 57-56. The Cyclones are losing six seniors, including one of their top scorers in Jozef Reisz, who finished his senior season with 238 points, averaging 11.3 per game.
Despite losing six talented kids, Mosher is excited for the returners and new students coming into the program, including Dallas McDowell, who averaged 17.3 points per game and Kobe Klaassen, averaging 13.4 points per game leading the Cyclones in scoring this season.
“Dallas and Kobe will be our focal points for the season, kind of like last season,” he said. “The underclassmen coming up are eager to find their spots on the team. It’ll be exciting to work with them in the summer, doing offseason workouts with shooting and getting the work in and trying to improve as much as possible in a number of different areas. I’m looking forward to being a mentor towards them to make them better young men and good citizens of Harlan.”