COLUMBUS, NE — A coach with state tournament experience will be the next boys basketball head coach at Columbus High.

Athletic Director Tim Kwapnioski announced Friday that Jordan Hitchcock will take over the Discoverers’ boys basketball program.  Hitchcock succeeds Jimmy Motz, who left to become the head coach at Norris after five years in Columbus.

Hitchcock started his coaching career as a graduate assistant manager at the University of Nebraska.  He helped former Husker head coaches Doc Sadler and Tim Miles with scouting, film preparation and workouts.  Hitchcock became the head coach at Class D-2 Parkview Christian in Lincoln in 2016. He guided the Patriots to a 21-4 record and the #2 seed in the state tournament in the ’16-’17 season.  Hitchcock joined the Lincoln Northeast staff as the Junior Varsity and lead varsity assistant coach in 2018.

“We had a quality candidate pool, and to have Coach Hitchcock emerge as our next head coach is a testament to the vision he has to continue to build our program,” Kwapnioski said.  “Discoverer basketball has a rich tradition of success, and we have selected a coach that we are extremely excited about.”

Hitchcock will teach in the Social Science Department at CHS.  Columbus finished 11-12 last season.