Wheeler new boys’ basketball coach at Cobden High School

Wendell Wheeler will be the new boys’ basketball coach at Cobden High School for the 2018-2019 season.

 The school board opened the boys’ basketball coaching position for applicants and the former Cobden Coach Brett Barke didn’t reapply for the position.

“It worked out pretty well,” Wheeler said. “I just retired from teaching. It’s a great opportunity to go to a good program.”

Three starters return from last year’s 16-13 squad for Cobden.

Wheeler has coached the last two years at the junior high level at Unity Point in Carbondale. 

He has a lot of previous high school varsity experience coaching. He’s coached high school at Du Quoin for 12 years and at Patoka and Newton, each for four years.

Wheeler likes the Appleknocker program he’s going to take over.

“They’ve really got a bunch of good kids at Cobden,” Wheeler said. “I like their work ethic.”

Though he cannot coach yet, Wheeler has been able to observe the team in summer workouts from the bleachers at the Cobden gymnasium.