SKOWHEGAN — As a basketball player at Skowhegan Area High School, Tom Nadeau was a key member of the team that won the 1998 Class A state title. Recently hired to be the head coach of his alma mater, Nadeau said he’s ready to rebuild the Indians into a contender.

“My goal is to re-establish the culture that once existed in the program,” Nadeau said. “If I can do that, the winning will take care of itself.”

Skowhegan has reached the Eastern A quarterfinals just once in the last 10 years, in 2010. A 1998 Skowhegan graduate, Nadeau was a senior on the team that defeated Cheverus 57-49 for the state championship.

“In the back of my mind, I always thought it would be nice to go back home. I had to wait for the right time,” Nadeau said.

Nadeau replaces Dave Simpson, who coached the Skowhegan boys the last three seasons.

Nadeau hopes to build a team that plays the same style of basketball he remembers playing at Skowhegan, beginning with fundamentally sound players with a focus on defense.

“Tough, hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. That’s going to be the backbone of our team,” Nadeau said.

This is Nadeau’s third head coaching job. Previously, he was head boys basketball coach at Hall-Dale and coached the Winslow girls team for six seasons. Last season, Nadeau was an assistant coach with the Lawrence boys under Mike McGee, an experience Nadeau said he was fortunate to get.

“I was able to learn from one of the best coaches around,” Nadeau said. “(McGee’s) a master motivator. If I can somehow, someway, be half of what Coach McGee was, I’ll be OK.”

Nadeau said he hasn’t yet met any of his players. When a girls basketball coach is hired, Skowhegan plans to hold a “Meet the Coaches” event, Nadeau said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

 

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