By Kim J. Harmon

Newtown High School has one of the strongest girls’ basketball programs in the South-West Conference (and the state, for that matter) and now has a new head coach – Timothy J. Salem.

The decision was made late last week and finalized on Monday.

Coach Salem has been an assistant coach with the Western Connecticut State University men’s basketball team – under head coach Bob Campbell – since 1999 and will step in for Gregg Simon, who resigned from the position back in March after leading the Lady Nighthawks to a 21-4 record.

In his 11 years at the helm, coach Simon accumulated 185 wins and one SWC championship. He led the ‘Hawks to three 20-win seasons in the last four years, setting a record of 22 in 2002-03.

After playing at Eastern Connecticut State University, Mr Salem began coaching boys’ basketball, field hockey, girls’ soccer, football and girls’ track at Danbury High School (where he is a History and Peer Leadership teacher) in 1992. In 1996 he became the head coach of the Bethel High School boys’ basketball team and in 1999 joined the staff at WSCU. In the spring of 2000 he coached with the Wescon Fillies AAU 15-and-under team and has also been the director of the New Fairfield Jaycees Basketball Clinic and the Safe Summer Basketball League and founder of the Hatter’s Hoop Camp.

Here’s what he had to say –

What are the circumstances that brought you to Newtown?

“It all started with my affiliation with the Wescon Fillies (in 2000). At that time, a couple of girls – Morgan Haines and Lori Iwanicki – were from Newtown and I really enjoyed the experience. And the timing here just happened to be right.”

After advancing to the collegiate level, why come back to high school coaching?

“I had a wonderful experience at Western Connecticut and couldn’t imagine working with a better person that Bob Campbell. I was looking at the possibility of pursuing a job down the line as a college coach, but I re-evaluated my life and I realized if you enjoy teaching and coaching, it doesn’t matter what level you’re on.”

Most of the players will be back and the team is going to be strong, so you’re stepping in at the right time.

“The expectations will be high and I’m going in understanding that. We will try and put our kids in the best position to learn and be successful.”

After coaching boys (and men) for several years, are you prepared to coach a girls’ basketball team?

“Working with the Wescon Fillies has given me a real perspective. The only difference (in coaching girls rather than boys) is that the ball is smaller.”

Do you have a particular style of basketball you prefer?

“Any good coach will recognize the strengths and weakness of a team and furnish that the best he can. But the only pet peeve I have is fundamentals. I want to make sure that the players are fundamentally sound because if a player is not fundamentally sound, it will lead to mistakes on both ends of the floor.”

What are you’re first moves going to be?

“My first mission is to quickly see if we can get involved in a fall league. Then I want to get up to the high school and meet the girls, familiarize myself with them. I also want to get a look at some tapes and familiarize myself with the other teams in the area. I consider myself a bit of a workhorse and I’m going to have to do my homework.”