Weston Ranch High has appointed Nicholas Podesta as the new head coach for its highly-successful boys basketball program.
The school announced the hire Monday evening with an article posted by student-run news site, The Prowl.
Podesta takes over for Chris Teevan, who resigned this past November. Longtime assistant Eddie Menzel is serving as interim coach.
Weston Ranch Athletic Director Brett Lewis said Podesta will begin June 1 in time for summer workouts, adding that Menzel plans to stick around as an assistant.
“It was definitely a thorough process,” Lewis said of his latest hire. “This was one of the best coaching jobs available in Northern California, honestly. Weston Ranch hasn’t had too many bad seasons, so we knew were going to attract some coaches with good résumés.
“Coach Podesta’s résumé speaks for itself. There aren’t too many high school coaches who don’t know who he is because he has been in just about everyone’s gym at the high school level, and that speaks volumes.”
Podesta currently teaches math and coaches at Caruthers High in Fresno County. He is also interim head coach for the Fresno City College men’s basketball team. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High in Sacramento, earned a degree in economics and statistics from UC Davis and garnered a master’s in exercise science and health promotion from California University of Pennsylvania.
Much of Podesta’s coaching career has been spent at the junior college level in the past decade, serving as an assistant at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento and Fresno City. In 10 combined seasons at the two schools, he has been part of nine postseason appearances including three state Final Fours.
Weston Ranch will go into its 18th varsity season with its fourth coach. Podesta succeeds Bill Slikker, Ryan Bono and Teevan, each of whom had prosperous runs with the Cougars.
Teevan, now an assistant with Modesto Christian, elevated the program to new heights in his eight-year reign that included a 174-79 record, three Valley Oak League championships, two Sac-Joaquin Section Division III banners and the school’s first California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Regional title. The Cougars claimed the 2020 Division II NorCal crown last March but was denied the opportunity to play in the state final at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Weston Ranch is one of the premier boys basketball programs in the state with a rich tradition, and I look forward to leading this program into the future,” Podesta told The Prowl. “This is a truly special opportunity.”