Boys’ Basketball: Bracey out at North Schuylkill after 5 seasons

Former North Schuylkill head coach Will Bracey.

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Will Bracey was disappointed and shocked to find out North Schuylkill had opened the position of head coach for boys’ basketball.

After five seasons as head coach of the Spartans, Bracey and North Schuylkill are splitting up.

“Definitely, disappointed in the process of it,” Bracey said. “You know, that is life, though, so I’m not too up or down about it. I guess the process of not knowing and just getting a phone call was sort of a little upsetting. I feel at least I could’ve gotten an end-of-the-season evaluation or you know, if expectations weren’t met this season just to tell me face to face. That is the only part I have a sour taste in my mouth about, just because I thought we were at a level of respect with each other.”

Bracey and North Schuylkill are parting ways after the school board voted to accept applications for the position of head coach for boys’ basketball during its Wednesday, Feb. 19, meeting. The subject of the boys’ hoops head coaching position was not on the agenda for that evening’s meeting.

“After carefully evaluating the boys’ basketball program, the North Schuylkill School District has made the difficult decision to open the Head Coaching position,” Spartans Athletic Director and Public Relations Director Jim Gross said in an email. “Our goal is to take the program in a different direction. We appreciate Coach Will Bracey’s contributions to our team, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Bracey, 31, led North Schuylkill to 4-18 overall record this season, 0-14 in Schuylkill League Division I play. The Spartans finished last in Division I just a season after posting a 17-8 overall mark with appearances in both the Schuylkill League and District 11 Class 4A playoff tournaments.

Bracey went 60-42 (.700 winning percentage) over his tenure as head man for North Schuylkill, including a 5-11 mark during the 2020-21 COVID season. His 2023 squad won the Division I title and reached the Schuylkill League championship game.

“Jude (Maziekas) and Zack Marcinowski were the only the only kids to touch varsity last season,” Bracey said. “Both of them were juniors coming into this year. So that was our varsity experience. We had a couple seniors this year, but they didn’t really play varsity last year and didn’t play a ton of varsity this year.

“I thought Cam Kacilowicz, a freshman, was a guy who came to everything during the summer. Even if there was only one or two guys, you could always pencil him in. He impressed me, he always finished first in the sprints in the offseason. And in the season he continued to lead, you don’t see that a lot in a young guy. Another was Xavier McNally. I thought once he started to get confident and feel like he belonged, I thought he had a great second half of the season.”

This past season was no easy challenge for Bracey and North Schuylkill after losing 10 seniors and 15 total players from its 2023-24 squad. The Spartans started the season 0-7 before picking up their first win in a non-league game over Shenandoah Valley and later added wins over Notre Dame East-Stroudsburg, Hanover and Milton.

“It was different, it was the most kids we’ve ever lost,” Bracey said. “A big senior class, two 1,000-point scorers, and really a lot of good basketball players.

“It was challenging in a different way. It was rewarding, though. I thought early in the season we struggled to find our footing while playing some younger guys. And some guys didn’t have varsity experience.

“In the middle of the season we won a couple games, and then even lost a couple at the buzzer. We lost to Palmerton at the buzzer, we lost to Panther Valley at the buzzer, we lost to Tamaqua by two. I thought we were growing, I thought it was a year of growth. But it was different. And honestly, I was really impressed with our young guys.”

Originally from Whiteville, North Carolina, Bracey is a Schuylkill County transfer portal acquisition and now Girardville resident. He was instrumental in the organization of this year’s first-ever Schuylkill League Basketball Media Day (reference Leroy Boyer’s story below) and also developed and processed this season’s Schuylkill League All-Area Coaches teams, MVPs and 6th Man/6th Woman awards.

https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/11/17/schuylkill-league-coaches-hold-1st-basketball-media-day/

“I’m disappointed, Bracey said of the job being opened. “More so in the process of everything that has happened. I feel as though we’ve had a successful program on and off the court. On the court, four district playoff appearances in five years, the only year not being in the playoffs was this year, which was sort of I don’t want to say a rebuild but we knew we were going to have some challenges. We had to hit the ground running to maximize a successful season.

“It was a little shocking and disappointing from that aspect, but I think things look different for us and they always have. And I feel like that is what made us and the identity that I tried to make for our group, and our group really bought into it and we had to be a little bit different in the ways we did things in order to get respect and gain respect. It doesn’t always look the way we want it to look all the time, but I think that is what helped us and gave us a little edge.”

North Schuylkill is accepting applications to fill Bracey’s former position. Interested applicants can send a letter of interest, District Employment Application and/or resume and current clearances to Dr. Robert Ackell, Superintendent, North Schuylkill School District, 15 Academy Lane, Ashland, PA, 17921. Applications will be taken until the position is filled.

The Spartans boys’ basketball head job is one of two boys’ hoops positions open for application. Pine Grove is also seeking a new boys’ basketball coach after not retaining head coach Jordan Lehman (more to come on that this weekend).

Bracey is still a very young man with plenty of passion for hoops. His dedication and perseverance for the sport will surely land him elsewhere in some kind of coaching capacity.

“As far as the league stuff, I love North Schuylkill and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity they gave me,” Bracey said. “And Schuylkill County in general. My work with basketball isn’t done, especially in the area.

“I feel as if I’m going to do things to help the league grow, and help the basketball players in this county. With the last eight years total, I don’t want to let the progress we’ve made slip away. Regardless of where I am or where my feet land, I’m still going to try to come back and do a second media day. I plan on hosting a couple free youth camps this summer and I’m trying to set up a summer league for few teams around here. So, my work isn’t done and it never will be.”