Sivills Named McCracken Lady Mustangs Hoops Coach

McCracken County High School has selected Calloway County Girls Basketball Coach Scott Sivills to be the next head coach of the Lady Mustangs basketball program.  Sivills takes over for Josh Barnett, who led the Lady Mustangs in their first two seasons before resigning in April.

Having been at Calloway County for nearly two decades, Sivills admitted the timing was right for a change. “This is a major family move for my wife and my three children,” Sivills said. “With my wife receiving a great opportunity to work at Baptist Health in Paducah recently, that really got the ball rolling for me to go to McCracken.”

Sivills also sees the new job as a chance for a fresh start at one of the biggest schools in the state. “I’ve got twenty years in coaching and teaching and I felt this was a great opportunity to take what you consider (McCracken) is a top ten school in the state and has the top resources and facilities of any school in the region,” Sivills said. “I think this is a great opportunity for me to recharge my batteries, and when you look at my wife’s new endeavor, it was a no brainer for me in this decision.”

McCracken County Activities Director, Kris Garrett, had nothing but praise for his new girls basketball coach.  “We hired Coach Sivills because he has run a first class program at Calloway County and had great success as a head coach,” Garrett said. “This hire will continue to push our girls basketball program in a positive direction, and we expect great things next season and beyond.”

McCracken County High School Principal Michael Ceglinski echoed Garrett’s thoughts. “Coach Sivills is one of the premier basketball coaches in our region and state,” Ceglinski said. “He is proven in developing players as well as being a phenomenal game coach. Most of all, I’m excited that our players will have the chance to learn about life from one of the finest people I’ve ever met.”

Sivills takes over a McCracken County girls basketball program that finished as a 2nd District Runner-up and graduated just two seniors this past season while returning seven juniors. “The very first thing I want to do is meet with the players or some new players that might want to play basketball and set the foundation with them,” Sivills said. “I’m going to give them my vision for the program and I’m really going to rely on them to help me.”

Sivills was more than appreciative of everyone at Calloway County during his time there. “I had the privilege to teach and coach for one of the top systems in the region and I am so appreciative to all of my colleagues at Calloway for their support and friendship,” Sivills said. “I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to develop life-long friendships and to have coached awesome young women in my 17 years as head coach.”

Sivills has been the head man for Calloway County for 17 seasons, dating back to 1998. Sivills holds the Calloway County school record for most wins as a head coach with 302 wins to 209 losses. He led the Lady Lakers to five regional championship games and won three regional titles – 2003, 2007, and 2011. Sivills has been selected as the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches “Coach of the Year” on four different occasions – 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2011. And just this past weekend, Sivills was the head coach of the girls Kentucky High School All Star Team.

Before coaching, Sivills was a four year member of the Murray State Racers men’s basketball team, from 1989-1992, winning three Ohio Valley Conference Championships and making three different NCAA Tournament appearances as a player against three major conference programs; Michigan State University, University of Alabama, and the University of Arkansas.