For many years, Windsor fans have had the enjoyment of coming to basketball games with the team being led by the oh-so-enthusiastic Todd Dutton. For some, it is hard to imagine that time has flown by to the point where Windsor will have a new face behind the clipboard. After eight years on the job, Coach Dutton is retiring.

A former varsity assistant at Hillsboro High School–Jason Gillman–will be stepping into those stomping shoes as he hopes to get some things turned around for the basketball program. His past coaching experience includes one year at Grandview as a junior varsity coach, and 13 years at Hillsboro–including nine with the varsity.

“When the opportunity arose, I had no second thoughts on what a well established community the Windsor C-1 School District is and that I wanted to be a part of it. It has a reputation as a top workplace with great academics and a supportive community.  I’m excited to be apart of it and get to know the students, staff, and community better,” Gillman said of the appeals of coaching at Windsor.

This will not only be a new chapter for Gillman, but also for many of the basketball players as well.

“I plan on approaching the year the same way as any other season, with a positive attitude,” current junior Grant Siegel said. “I’m just going to try and stay optimistic and listen and learn as much as I can.”

There will also be several challenges facing the young coach as he will be working to turn around a basketball team that had a final record of 10-16 in the 2018-2019 season, which included a stretch in which they lost eight of their last nine games. Since 2006, the Owls have completed only one winning season.

Coach Gillman has plans to get a summer basketball calendar set up and put together some camps and leagues for his players and the younger groups.

One thing that’s sure to change with a new man in charge is the competition for spots. With limited time spent with the players, there is constant evaluation and everyone will have that much more opportunity to find their role.

“I think with a new coach, everyone gets a fresh start. Everyone has a chance to prove themselves, and everyone is going to be working harder,” Siegel added.

The new coach, on the other hand, has dealt with no shortage of success over the past few seasons. The Hillsboro Hawks have come out on top of their district and advanced to the sectional round for three consecutive seasons.

Gillman said, “Playing and working in a winning basketball program has prepared me for this step in many ways. Being in a winning program, I have learned that embracing the process is paramount by putting in time in the offseason, practicing and coaching the details, and molding your program to fit you players so they can have the most success as possible.”