Kaplansky in charge at Gavilan

You're an athletic director and you need a new leader for one of your programs which has stumbled for some time. It makes perfect sense to go to the heart of your community and bring in a local, well-respected coach with a proven track record.

That's what Gavilan College has done with the hiring of David Kaplansky as the new men's basketball coach. Kaplansky played at San Benito High, alternately coached the boys and girls teams there and won two CCS championships during his tenure.

So why the switch to Gavilan? One critical reason is area pride.

"It's our neighborhood community college," Kaplansky replied.

And yes, he knows what is ahead.

"It's going to be a big challenge and take time but fans will see a scrappy, effort-based team. We'll build first from here and try to add size and high skill sets."

In a way, Kaplansky is returning to his roots.

"I played at San Benito High for Coach John Becerra, graduating in 1994. Then I spent two years playing at Grossmont College in San Diego and transferred to San Diego State. My first year there I was a walk-on with the basketball team but on full scholarship my senior year." That concluding season was 1998-99.

Here's talk of him in an article at the time in the San Diego State student newspaper: "Dave's (Kaplansky) our spark," SDSU senior forward Kevin Betts said. "He gives it all he's got when he gets in the game and gets us going."

Here's Kaplansky himself in that same piece: ""I'm trying to do anything I can for this team; I know I'm not going to score a lot of points, so I go out and play tough defense..."I'm not the most athletic player out on the court, so I have to do it with hard work."

During all his time in college, Kaplansky worked a lot of summer basketball camps, especially those of then Stanford Coach Mike Montgomery. Exposure to that atmosphere "sold me on coaching."

He's been in the educational field in Hollister for 15 years and is currently teaching physical education at Spring Grove Elementary School. Kaplansky will remain in that job.

As for coaching bonafides, they include leading the boys basketball program at San Benito from 1999 to 2005. Kaplansky then switched over to the girls side for four seasons, winning CCS championships in both 2008 and 2009. He returned to coaching the boys in 2010.

So what will Kaplansky's Rams be displaying come next November?

Try "ball pressure and a physical type of defense."

Yes, it's a hefty undertaking but opponents will now find that matching up against Gavilan is going to be a more difficult task.