After taking a two year break from coaching, assistant varsity coach Aaron Cornell has returned to assist the varsity boys basketball team in making a run at CIF Championships. Aside from having to adjust to an altered style of play and new players, Cornell is excited for a new season with the Wolfpack. He hopes to work with head varsity coach Stan Tolliver as well as the other coaches to make sure that the varsity boys can perform at the peak of their potential.

“Coach Cornell and I have worked together for a long time, and I believe that his presence on the team will be good,” Tolliver said.

Tolliver and Cornell have worked with each another since 1997 when they were both assistant varsity coaches at Walnut High School, and then later became coaches at Claremont. Shortly after coaching at CHS, Cornell became a director of sales for a healthcare group. Because of the demanding hours and travel needs, Cornell left his post as a coach for two years. However, he felt as though nothing could compare to coaching basketball at Claremont, so Cornell returned to help the team become a more powerful squad during the season.

“My goal is for us to get better every single day in some aspect and to improve consistently,” Cornell said.

As Cornell returned to the basketball scene at CHS, he has tasked himself to refamiliarize himself with the style of play employed by the basketball program, as well as becoming an ally in the eyes of the players. Due to the fact that he played the guard position in high school and college, Cornell has dedicated himself to helping the varsity guards hone their skills and improve their defensive play.

“I mostly work with the guards on shooting and dribbling, and fine tuning their fundamentals of the defensive portion of the game,” Cornell said.

As he has seen the players in action, Cornell and the team captains believe that with more experience and time together, the team could be a serious threat for CIF Champions. Along with that, they believe that this season will be good for team chemistry because they have a new coach to work with.

“I think this season will be good but we need to just continue to play well to make a push for playoffs,” team captain and senior Chris Edwards said.

Despite the fact that Cornell left for an extended period of time, he has returned to CHS and enjoys coaching the new varsity squad. His time off has left him rejuvenated for the season and he plans to add more wins to the league record.