Chuipek named new Jacobs basketball coach

Keith Chuipek is returning to the Eagles Nest.

A coach in the Jacobs boys basketball program for seven years before he spent the last four years as St. Edward's head boys basketball coach, Chuipek was named Friday as the new girls basketball coach at the Algonquin school.

Chuipek takes over for Ed Haugens, who stepped down after seven seasons with a 150-65 record. Haugens won three regional championships, took the Golden Eagles to the Elite Eight in 2004 and this past season Jacobs won its first girls basketball conference title in program history.

"The opportunity was there," said Chuipek, whose two children both graduated from Jacobs. "Change is OK. It keeps you fired up and keeps you going."

Chuipek formerly coached as an assistant varsity coach, head sophomore coach and head freshman coach in Jim Hinkle's boys program at Jacobs.

"I have a lot of ties with Jacobs," he said. "I'm still friends with Jim Hinkle and looking at the roster I see a lot of girls coming up who I taught in kindergarten, first, second, third grade. I know of those girls and I know their families."

Chuipek is well aware the Golden Eagles graduate six seniors from a team that went 24-7 this past season. But he's prepared to bring along what will be a young 2010-11 team.

"We'll see what's in the younger classes," he said. "Every program has a cycle. We'll be a little bit younger, that's all. Ed did a really nice job. I think he's got more wins than I have games coached. I'm good friends with Ed and I'm looking forward to building on what he's done with the program.

In his four seasons at St. Edward, the Green Wave boys were 42-70 under Chuipek and won a regional title in 2009.

Chuipek is a physical education teacher at Neubert Elementary School in District 300 and has taught there for 12 years.