December 28, 2018 at 1:40 p.m.
Assistants Kotula, Bates tabbed to lead RHS soccer teams
Assistants Kotula, Bates tabbed to lead RHS soccer teams
RHS activities director Brian Paulson said Thursday the district has hired two of Millot's former assistants, Richard Kotula and Nathan Bates, to lead the teams this year. Kotula will be the head coach of the RHS girls' program this spring while Bates will oversee the RHS boys' soccer team in the fall.
"We're very lucky to have them," Paulson told the River News. "I believe they're very active in the community, a face that is known by all the kids and many parents. I don't believe this would be a shock to many at all."
Kotula has been Millot's right-hand man on the sidelines for more than a decade, serving as an assistant coach with the girls' team from 2007 to 2018. He also has done three stints as an assistant coach for the boys' team during that time and was previously the head coach of the Three Lakes boys' soccer team in 2008 and 2009.
"I think that he's brought a lot of knowledge of soccer (to the program) with coach Millot's coaching style and what they were able to do together for all those years," Paulson said. "He understands the knowledge of the game very well. Relationship building between the parents and the kids, I think that's important right now to keep that going."
"I am very excited and looking forward for the next season," Kotula said in an email to the River News. "(The) girls' soccer program has been always very strong with multiple talented and dedicated players. There are a lot of opportunities for us as a coaching staff to continue a strong program and I am honored to be part of that chance to keep it successfully going forward."
Bates was the head JV coach for the boys' soccer team this past fall after previously serving as a recreational and travel team coach at the youth level through the Rhinelander Soccer Club.
"He's been coaching with the club for many, many years and has coached all the way up," Paulson said. "I think having someone come in, just like Richard, from the club, they have lots of years of coaching. With those lots of years of coaching, you are able to have lots of experience. Coming through the club, that's our feeder program. Nathan wants to keep that connection with the soccer club and build that foundation with the boys there through the middle school and high school."
Bates admitted he has big shoes to fill, stepping in for Millot, and is taking an "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" approach to the position.
"I'm just going to try to keep it going, do the best I can do and try to keep the success with the club going," he said. "He had a very successful career with the high school as a head coach. Coaching with him, he did a great job. I learned some good things from him."
Millot resigned the head coaching positions he had held for more than two decades in mid-November, citing a desire to spend more time with family. In a subsequent interview with the River News, Millot indicated he would be comfortable passing the mantle of the program down to his assistants.
"I have confidence in the coaches that we have on staff right now for two or three of them to step in and take over a head coaching responsibility," he said.
Both Paulson and Millot said they saw advantages to splitting the positions among two head coaches.
"I think that, in itself, is going to be a good thing. I think if you can get a coach to just focus on one (team), focus the recruiting of one gender and focus on improving," Millot said in November.
Though they will be overseeing different sides of the program, Kotula and Bates both said they intend to work together and help each other, even if its only in an indirect capacity.
"Me and Nathan have been in touch almost daily and in the last couple weeks," Kotula said. "It is an important partnership and our goals are aligned to keep both programs going strong, Hodag Strong (the team's motto symbolizing its commitment to excellence). We are planning on attending united soccer coaches convention in January to get aligned with the most current soccer trends and coaching styles. I believe both of us want the best for the student athlete boys and girls in our community and to make each individual student joining our programs a successful individual."
Bates added that he, Kotula and middle school coach Adam Wiese have already begun brainstorming about the next boys' season. Bates added he plans to have Kotula and Wiese on his staff next fall.
"I've worked with Adam over the years coaching and I've worked with Richard and I think we should have a pretty good set of coaches to have the boys' and girls' programs keep on pushing forward," he said.
The RHS soccer teams have enjoyed plenty of success under Millot, including three trips to the WIAA sectional finals for both the boys' and girls' soccer teams. Since joining the GNC in 2010, the Hodag soccer teams have won 12 combined conference titles - six each for the boys' and girls' teams.
In hiring Kotula and Bates as the new head coaches, Paulson said the goal is to maintain continuity within the program.
"Hopefully with the tradition of that program, there will be new faces stepping up into bigger roles, but there will be assistants who step up who are familiar faces to help our new head coaches," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.