Forestburg announced last week it’s hiring of Eldon Van Hooser as the new boy’s head basketball coach.
A graduate from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Van Hooser comes to Forestburg from Fort Elliott in the panhandle after spending the last four years there. He also has spent time at two other schools before, coaching football and basketball there. One of the main draws was the ability to be closer to family in the Gainesville area from where he was. Van Hooser also will serve as an assistant football coach and will coach spring sports.
Athletic Director Cori Hayes is excited to have Van Hooser join the Longhorns family.
“The interview was great and he seemed to mesh perfectly with our ideas as a staff, as well as his tremendous coaching experience,” Hayes said.
Van Hoosen has a flexible ideology for his team’s game plan, doing his best to bring out the strengths of his players. The last few years his teams at Fort Elliot were on the shorter side so his teams emphasized pace to take advantage of that.
Van Hoosen hears that will not be an issue at Forestburg as the Longhorns return several incoming senior post players with great experience.
“It seems at Forestburg they have a lot of size,” Van Hoosen said. “Whatever the team’s strengths are.”

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.