Grose tabbed to head FHS boys basketball program

By DAVE HANNEMAN Findlay reminded Ryan Grose a lot of his roots. That was one reason he decided at accept the position as Findlay High School's next boys basketball coach. "Findlay has always believed in a community-based education, and a community that values its high school athletes," Grose said Thursday. "It's very similar to Norwalk, where I grew up. And the places I sought to be at, like Marysville and North Union, are very much like that." "Findlay has great basketball tradition and great community support. I value those things." It was announced on Thursday that Grose has been hired to fill the position vacated when Jim Rucki stepped down following the 2023-24 season. The winningest coach in FHS boys basketball history, Rucki compiled a 385-178 record in 25 seasons as the Trojans head coach, including last season's 21-3 mark that included a Northern Lakes League-Buckeye Division championship. Grose spent 11 seasons as head coach at Marysville, a Division I school that competes in the Ohio Capital Conference. The past two years he coached Division III North Union, a member of the Central Buckeye Conference. Grose has a Findlay connection. He earned a masters degree from the University of Findlay and was an assistant at UF under NCAA Division II national championship-winning coach Ron Niekamp. Grose was an all-Ohio standout his senior year at Norwalk High School when he averaged 22.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Grose earned a Division I scholarship to play for Wright State University, and finished his college eligibility at Walsh. Grose was an assistant coach at North Canton Hoover before his time at UF, and later served as an assistant at Notre Dame College. Grose will be taking over a Findlay program in a bit of transition. Six players graduated from last year's 21-3 team and a seventh player – Georgia quarterback recruit Ryan Montgomery – will not be back if he opts, as his brother Luke did with Ohio State, to graduate high school early and enroll at Georgia. "That's the way high school basketball it goes. Some years you might have great talent, some years you might have to work harder," Grose said. "My focus is on what we can control. That's what I love about coaching, adapting year in and year out, doing things the right way and working with the youth programs so kids want to be high school players because of the program we run." With Findlay youth basketball camps next week, Grose will be jumping into his new role quickly. "I'm looking forward to it," Grose said. "We're ready to get things off and running."