Habali new Graceville boys coach

Graceville girls basketball coach Jon Habali will take over the head coaching position for the boys team next season, the school decided Monday.

Habali, who coached the Lady Tigers to a 25-3 record and a regional finals appearance last season, will take over the boys from former coach Mike Carter, who also took Graceville to the regional finals last season.

However, Habali will remain coach of the Lady Tigers and will now handle both jobs, just as Malone coach Steven Welch and Cottondale coach Chris Obert have previously done.

Graceville principal Chris Franklin said, however, that he will try to make sure Habali has enough help with his coaching staff that he’s not overtaxed by the added responsibilities.

“We’re going to have about four or five people working with the basketball program,” he said. “We’re comfortable with one coach leading both teams, with as much help as we’re going to have for him.”

Jeff Edge, who assisted Habali with the girls last season, will continue to assist with both boys and girls teams, while Rob Martin, who worked with the middle school last season, will also assist with the boys coaching duties.

Habali said he hoped that Becky Collins, who assisted with the girls last season, would remain on the coaching staff as well.

“It’s a lot of responsibility, but we feel like with as many people as we’ll have involved, it will be a good situation for both the boys and the girls,” Franklin said. “I think Jon will do a good job and we’ll be in good shape.”

Habali said he knew how difficult handling both squads would be, but he believed the coaching staff would make it work.

“We’re aware that this will be a challenge,” the coach said. “I know it will be a tough task, but I think we’re up for it. Coach Edge is like a head coach himself. We get along very well, we both love the game and we’re going to get these kids working hard. It’s not just going to be me out here by myself. We’re all dedicated to the same cause.”

Due to low numbers, Graceville will not have a girls’ junior varsity team next season.

As for the boys, Habali didn’t have much time to prepare for his first coaching assignment. The team begins play in the Marianna Summer League Monday night against Chipley and Cottondale.

“I’m not that familiar with the boys and they’re not that familiar with me,” Habali said. “So the summer is about me getting to learn them, and them me. We have to see what we have to work with over the summer. We have a lot of kids with no varsity experience, so hopefully we can get it over the summer and they can grow and be ready to go in the fall.”

Habali, 27, said he would try to talk to Obert and Welch to see how they dealt with the extra responsibility.

The coach said that, while the boys and girls games are much different, his approach to dealing with the players would be the same.

“We’re going to hold the boys to the same standard we held the girls to on the court and in the classroom,” Habali said. “We want them to work just as hard off the court as they work on the court.”