By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Jeff Stowers will resume his highly successful head coaching career with the Simon Kenton girls basketball team after spending the last two seasons as his son’s assistant coach.
Stowers, 69, is taking charge of the Pioneers’ program once again because his son, Brenden, resigned to become an assistant coach for the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team.
During Jeff’s previous stint as head coach, Simon Kenton teams compiled a 427-180 record in 20 seasons that included a 5-5 record in 8th Region championship games. Fourteen of his teams finished with 20 or more wins.
According to career records previously posted on the khsaa.org website, Jeff ranks fourth in career wins among Northern Kentucky girls basketball coaches.
The ones ahead of him on the list are Nell Fookes (686 wins), Bill Goller (512) and Ray Kues (460).
Simon Kenton has four starters returning from last season’s 21-11 team that lost to Spencer County, 46-45, in the opening round of the 8th Region tournament. The top returning scorer is sophomore point guard Brynli Pernell, a two-year starter who averaged 16.1 points. The other varsity veterans are juniors Haylie Webb, Anna Kelch and Meg Gadzala.
The other girls basketball head coaches hired during the off-season are Celeste Brockett at Beechwood, Laura Hall at Dayton, Ryan Bowman at Ludlow, Zuri Hill at Holmes and Trevor Steiner at Newport Central Catholic.
Boone County is looking to replace Todd Humphrey, who stepped down as girls head coach to become boys head coach.