Jac Alexander takes over TC boys basketball program

Young, energetic, but a natural born leader. Those are just some of the traits of Jac Alexander's makeup as the 23-year-old first-year head coach takes over the boys basketball program for Columbian.The 2020 Oak Harbor graduate was a three-sport standout for the Rockets, but his love for the game of basketball started long before his high school days on the hardwood."I fell in love with basketball at a really young age. I had a really good group of buddies that played AAU together from fourth grade on and we spent a lot of time together and that's what we looked forward to after a long week of school," Alexander said. "That's where I feel in love with the game, but I also had a great head coach and coaching staff with Coach (Eric) Sweet and some assistant coaches that coached me in several different sports and they always held us to a high standard."In the Columbian press release, it mentions Alexander's strong reputation as a proven winner, leadership skills, motivating personality and relentless focus on achievement. He emphasizes a culture of hard work, character and team unity."We're thrilled to welcome Coach Alexander to Columbian High School," TC's Director of Athletics and Activities Bill Beaston said. "From the start of our search, we were looking for a coach who could energize our program and connect with our student-athletes in a meaningful way. Coach Alexander checked every box – and then some."From Oak Harbor, Alexander played at Division III Marietta where he was coached by 2015 National Coach of the Year Jon VanderWal. He was elected captain of the team three times during his career and was a part of the 2022 team that went 29-3 and advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament."I loved the small-town feel at Marietta and I got to play for – in my opinion one of the best coaches in the country – in Jon VanderWal," Alexander said. "I didn't really have any ideas of becoming a coach at that point, but I knew I loved the game, I loved basketball and all sports really. I'm a sports fanatic."When I went to Marietta it was taken to a whole other level with basketball 365 days a year for four years. Being taught by the best and being held to the highest standard by the best at all times was something that I fell in love with."Alexander takes over a team that went 10-13 overall last season and 5-5 in a very good SBC Lake Division.The team was coached by Travis Kinn for nine years before Ryan Fretz stepped in last season.While the Tornadoes have a somewhat young roster and will have to try to replace All-Ohioan Zach Shawberry, the cupboard certainly is not bare as they improved throughout last season and got some valuable experience. "I'm super excited to be honest. I'm young, I have a lot of energy to give to the game," he said. "Plus, I was just in their shoes six years ago, so I know what they're going through. I know the lingo, I have all of the knowledge, X's and O's thanks to my college and high school coaches, but I learned how to break down film, break down a defense, those types of things."One thing that will be a constant with an Alexander-coached team: energy."This is even without knowing everyone yet, but without a doubt, the kids are going to play hard," Alexander said. "I can promise you that. You're going to see a team that is hungry and a team that is unselfish, doing whatever it takes to win and having a good time with it, enjoying the process. It's going to be a team people enjoy to watch and brings a lot of energy because energy is so important and it's something I bring a lot of."