HUDSON – Hudson didn’t have to look far for its next boys’ basketball head coach.
Mike Notaro Jr., the son of previous head coach Mike Notaro Sr., will lead the team this upcoming season. Notaro Jr. has served as an assistant coach for the last eight years.
“There’s nothing like going into a full gym with lots of students cheering you on. It’s like you’re back on the court yourself,” Notaro told the Community Advocate. “I just want to give these kids the best high school opportunity I can for basketball. I feel like I grew up with that great experience, and so I want to hand it off to as many kids as I can.”
Notaro grew up around sports. In high school, he played basketball, golf, and baseball, eventually playing golf in college. After graduating, Notaro turned to coaching to keep himself involved in sports. He coached basketball at Clinton Middle School before starting coaching alongside his father in Hudson eight years ago.
“The past eight years have been awesome. When we first came here… the team had no wins, and within three years we went to a district championship game. Doing it with [my father] has been something I’ve grown up wanting to do. He’s been coaching me since I was a kid. Working with him was something really important to me,” Notaro said.
While Notaro had to apply for the position, the transition from father to son began some time ago. When the younger Notaro noticed years ago that his father’s coaching career may soon be coming to an end, he started to take on extra responsibilities.
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“Over the past couple years, I could tell he was kind of getting to the end, so I’ve taken [on] more of a role,” Notaro said. “It’s not going to be much of a drastic change. Things will change, but there’s kind of been more of a ‘passing over’ the past couple of years anyway.”
While Notaro hopes the team will continue to enjoy success on the court, not everything will remain the same. Whereas the elder Notaro had a reputation for his loud and motivational coaching style, Notaro characterized himself as reserved and laid back.
Notaro also hopes to involve the youth, drumming up support for the team and hopefully creating future Hudson Hawk basketball phenoms.
There will also be some staff shuffling. Although the lower-level coaches will remain the same, Notaro hopes to add an assistant coach to fill his previous post.
Notaro will face immediate challenges in his first season at the helm. Since last season, 11 athletes left the team. Only two full-time varsity players – division all-stars Jackson O’Brien and Jake Attaway – will return.
“We’re going to have a lot of first-year varsity players, but they’ve been practicing with these guys for two or three years… We’re looking for the younger kids to step up,” said Notaro, noting how varsity and JV teams practice together in Hudson.
With new players, new coaching, new uniforms and new gym flooring, the Hudson Hawks have been transformed, and Notaro is excited for the season to begin.
“I’m definitely more excited than nervous going into it,” he said.
