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Minton said Kuwik was “highly recommended” by former Dayton men’s basketball coach Archie Miller and Thad Matta, who this month resigned as Ohio State’s coach. Kuwik was an assistant at Butler when Matta was the Bulldogs’ head coach.
Kuwik will succeed Travis Trice, who surprisingly resigned as Wayne's coach this spring to take over the Warriors girls basketball program. With Trice as coach the last 10 seasons, Wayne vaulted to the top of the area boys Division I programs and won a state championship in 2015, the program's first. Trice coached three sons at Wayne. A daughter, junior Olivia Trice, is among several returning standouts among the Warriors girls.
The Wayne girls basketball coaching position opened when Sonya Miller resigned on March 30. In January, Miller was reprimanded by the district for allowing her husband Robert Miller to help coach the Warriors. The state board of education had permanently denied Robert Miller a required pupil activity permit in 2016.
Kuwik did not join Indiana’s new staff after Miller accepted the Hoosiers’ post on March 16 following the firing of Tom Crean after nine seasons. However, former Flyers assistant Tom Ostrom landed at Indiana as the associate head coach. Ben Sander, a graduate assistant the last two seasons at UD, also was retained on Miller’s new Hoosiers staff as the team and recruitment analyst.
Former Flyer Anthony Grant (1983-87) was named to succeed Miller as the Flyers’ head coach.
A New York native, Kuwik served 10 years in the U.S. Army as his coaching career evolved. Serving with the 113th Engineer Battalion of the Indiana National Guard while an assistant coach at Butler, he took an 18-month leave of absence in 2004-05 to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom and earned a Bronze Star (the Army’s highest award) for service in Iraq.
Besides Butler and UD, Kuwik, 39, also was an assistant at Ohio University, Christian Brothers (Tenn.) and Saint Michael’s (Vermont) and a student assistant at Notre Dame.
Wayne was 15-9 overall last season and 7-5 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference National East. The season before undefeated Wayne was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press state D-I poll but was upset in a district final, finishing 25-1.
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2017 BOYS BASKETBALL COACHING CHANGES
Milton-Union:Mitch Westerheide succeeds Mike Piatt, who resigned after one season. A Fort Loramie grad and Capital University standout, Westerheide was an Edison State assistant last season
Springboro:Kyle Youker was promoted to succeed Mike Holweger, who resigned after four seasons. Has been a longtime Springboro freshman and JV coach.
Talawanda:Chris Coles, son of former Miami coach Charlie Coles, succeeds Eddie Glaser, who lasted two seasons. Coles has coached at Talawanda and Ross, and collegiately at Saginaw Valley State and Olivet (Mich.).
Wayne: Former UD men's assistant Kevin Kuwik succeeds Travis Trice, who resigned to succeed Sonya Miller as the Warriors' girls coach.
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