GIRLS BASKETBALL: Blair hires club coach as new girls basketball coach

By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer
PASADENA - After winning its first Rio Hondo League girls basketball championship in five seasons, Blair High School's program appeared to be headed in the right direction.
Vikings coach David Jensen, the Star-News Coach of the Year later announced he was leaving the school.
Following a long and exhausting search, Blair has hired George Wrighster as its head coach.
"We took a considerable amount of time to make our selection and interviewed a couple dozen coaches in the process, but we were delighted with all that coach Wrighster brings to the Vikings athletic program," Blair athletic director Gamal Smalley said.
Wrighster, a longtime AAU and club coach, has coached nationally ranked club teams for the last 10 years and is currently the executive director and coach of Soaring Eagle International and West Coast Elite Basketball.
Wrighster's Nike-sponsored teams have competed at dozens of Division I team camps around the country.
"The new CIF rule changes which allow high school coaches to coach travel teams, really makes coach Wrighster a good fit for us and we are delighted to have another addition to our staff with strong ties to college athletics," Smalley said.
Smalley expects Wrighster to develop his players and build the program.
"What we want to do is not just have a good team, we want to have a great program," Smalley said. "Last year's team was terrific and had a great record and won a league championship, but what we want to do is build a program that, year-in and year-out, will have a standard of excellence. That's why we're so excited about coach Wrighster because his club teams have had that standard."
Wrighster's goal is to compete for a second consecutive league championship.
"My mission is to build the individual character of each student athlete, to blend team members into a harmonious and successful unit, and to optimize both personal and team potential," said Wrighster, whose son, George Wrighster III is a tight end for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. "Since I've always been a teacher and a trainer first, we're back to the grass roots of basketball again, which is the fun part of coaching, where you can see the fruits of your labor and taking the kids to the next level."
Wrighster has coached on the high school level at AGBU of Canoga Park.
Blair finished 20-6 during the 2007-08 season, including 9-1 in league play.
Wrighster has coached on the high-school level at AGBU of Canoga Park.
Blair finished 20-6 during the 2007-08 season, including 9-1 in RHL play.