Neubauer takes over Panther girls basketball

Hiring its fourth coach in four seasons, the Creston girls basketball team will be looking to Tony Neubauer (Nye-bauer) to bring consistency to a team rich with talent.

After a 40-8 record and a state tournament appearance in two seasons at the helm of the Nevada high school girls program, Neubauer considers himself lucky to have found and taken the opening in Creston.

“I feel really blessed. I think it’s a program that has a lot of talent in it right now.” said Neubauer about his first thoughts on the Panthers after seeing some of their game film from last year while preparing for regionals.

With an 18-year coaching career already under his belt, Neubauer has led numerous teams in different sports to successful seasons, gaining plenty of recognition along the way.

As a basketball head coach, Neubauer holds a 116-55 record after a four-year stint at Saint Johns High School in Arizona coupled with his two years at Nevada.

While in Nevada, he was awarded district coach of the year and regional coach of the year by the IBCA.

As an assistant, he coached eight years at Crestwood High School in his hometown, prior his time in Arizona.

Neubauer, a Cresco, Iowa native and Northern Iowa alumnus says he is looking forward to living in rural Iowa and intends to stick around Creston.

“I feel bad for our seniors who have had to go through four coaches in four years and we’re going to change that. I plan on being there for a while,” Neubauer said.

As far as his on the court philosophies, the newest Panther says he will gameplan offensively around the talent the Creston girls already have.

A sticking point for the soon-to-be seventh-year head coach is defense, a priority for every team he has coached and something he takes pride in.

“We will be predominately man (defense), but there is some other stuff that we can judge off of what we do well,” he said. “All of the teams I’ve head coached we’ve finished in the top 10 in the state in scoring defense.”

The Panthers return plenty of height in soon-to-be-sophomores Kelsey Fields and Sam Dunphy and Neubauer is used to coaching with taller players.

“I’ve been really blessed in my years to have … a lot of height so I’ve a little more traditional two in, three out,” Neubauer said.

The Creston girls coach has spent plenty of time not only coaching basketball, but other sports along the way.

The Iowa native says he has coached three sports a year for 15 years and “has loved every minute of it.”

He has coached 16 years of track (two as a head coach), eight years of softball and three years of baseball.

“I’ve been around a lot of good coaches and a lot of good situations. I work hard and prepare but you still have to have talent,” said Neubauer. “... You know I’ve learned from good people and I’ve been very blessed so far.”

Along with being the Panther girls head coach, Neubauer will also be the seventh grade girls track coach and the secondary success coordinator at the high school.

Neubauer’s contract was approved by the Creston School Board of Directors Monday.