May 6, 2009

Robin Washut
HuskersIllustrated.com Staff Writer

Earlier this week, the former Husker point guard was named the head boys' basketball coach at Johnson-Brock (Neb.) High School. Krenk has always had an eye on eventually getting into coaching, and even though he doesn't officially get his teaching degree until Saturday, it didn't keep him from landing a job just like that.

"It just kind of came out of the blue," Krenk said. "It's one of those deals where I really, really enjoy coaching. I was thinking about just helping out a high school team or something, and then a head-coaching job came along and I just kind of jumped at the opportunity. It felt like a good deal."

Krenk found out about the job after the father of one of his players on the NBDL Bison team he helped coach told him about a coaching opening at Johnson-Brock. While Krenk had hoped to get a coaching and teaching job out of college, the J-B position was strictly for coaching and not teaching.

After some thought, Krenk decided to give it a shot and e-mailed the school about the opening. About two hours later, he had an interview set up. Krenk met with the school's administrators last Tuesday, and a couple days later they said the job was his.

Now, Krenk will jump right into his new career, as he's already beginning to set up the team's summer schedule of team camps, summer leagues, youth camps, open gyms and weight lifting.

He said he plans on meeting with his new team for the first time next Tuesday at the school, which will make it all official.

Though some thought Krenk would be the perfect candidate for possibly a graduate assistant job at Nebraska or another college program, Krenk said he decided getting into collegiate coaching wasn't the right fit for him in the long run.

"I thought maybe college coaching was something I wanted to get into, but the more I was around it I just didn't fit the lifestyle I was looking for," Krenk said. "Those guys live and breathe basketball, which is great for them, but it's something that I didn't really know if that type of traveling and all that was something I really wanted."

Instead, Krenk said he likely feel right at home coaching in the Nebraska high school ranks, as he was there only a few years ago running the point for his native Nebraska City team.

"Obviously I've been around basketball all my life, and I've wanted to stick around it and be a part of it in the future," he said. "At the high school level, it's just one of those things where it's a good age to work with because they're becoming young adults and going into adulthood, and it's just a good opportunity to meet a lot of good young kids and work with them and help them become better athletes and better people."