Following previous head basketball coach Bobby Forst?s departure, Dan Hale has stepped in as the new varsity basketball coach this year.
Hale brings an in-depth background. He played four years of varsity basketball in high school.
Hale also played three years at University of Hawaii and one year at Chaminade University, all in Honolulu.
After playing five years of semi-professional basketball in a Los Angeles league, Hale made the decision to go into coaching.
?My father was a high school hall of fame coach,? Hale said.
Hale began coaching at his old high school, Punahau High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played basketball with President Barack Obama.
?He was just one of the guys who I played with, same as the guys around here,? Hale said.
Following twenty years of coaching, Hale came to Marshall.
During summer league basketball, Hale was impressed by how this year?s players performed.
?[They are] hard-working and scrappy, just the way I like it?.
His hope is to ?build a culture of basketball here at Marshall.?
Hale also teaches Honors World History 2 and US/VA Government.