Published: July 02, 2009 02:56 am      

Clinton boys hoops coach Shovlain resigns

By Jon Gremmels

Herald Sports Editor

DAVENPORT — Working on his basketball skills as he prepares for his senior season at Clinton High School, Maurice Walker was caught off guard by the news. So was teammate David Johnson.

But both of them, along with the rest of the varsity basketball players at Clinton, will have to get acquainted with a new basketball coach after Dave Shovlain resigned to become athletic director at Davenport North High School.

“It really did surprise me,” Walker said Wednesday night outside Lee Lohman Arena, where the River Kings were getting ready to play in the St. Ambrose summer league. “We were about to have open gym (earlier this week), and he brought us to the lobby and told us he was going to take a job at North.”

Johnson, who missed that meeting, was caught off guard when Shovlain told him the news personally later that day.

“It kind of shocked me,” said Johnson, one of two junior starters (along with guard Jake Mangler) on last year's squad. Johnson was Clinton's leading scorer (11 points a game), second-leading rebounder (5.3) last season and a member of the Herald's All-Area First Team. “He was all excited about the team.”

The River Kings went 12-11 last season, knocking off defending state runner-up Davenport Central in the Class 4A substate quarterfinals before losing to Bettendorf, which finished fourth in the state, in the substate semifinal. Shovlain compiled an 83-97 record in eight seasons as head coach at Clinton. Attempts to reach Shovlain at home and on his cell phone were unsuccessful.

The news of Shovlain leaving wasn't a complete surprise to Clinton athletic director Gary Lueders, although he said the timing was far from ideal.

“I always knew he was interested in something in athletic administration,” Lueders said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. “He just finished his master's (degree) in educational administration. It's a good career move for him.

“The timing isn't the best (for Clinton). We have a limited number of teaching openings. (Another) difficulty comes if there are coaches and teachers currently under contract (at other schools).”

Lueders didn't rule out the possibility of some current assistants in the program being candidates to replace Shovlain, either.

Lueders said the next coach wouldn't necessarily have to be a teacher but it was advantageous having coaches who are in the schools and see their players on a daily basis.

Despite all that, Lueders said he was optimistic about filling the position.

“I'm confident we'll find someone good,” he said. “I would like to have something done by the end of July, but summers can be tough to get people together for interviews. We will advertise it and see what type of interest is out there.”

Until then, Walker, Johnson and the rest of the varsity players will continue their summer workouts and wait to see what changes are in store. Regardless of who replaces Shovlain, Johnson expects some changes in the upcoming season.

“This year we'll probably do a lot of different plays because we lost our size,” he said.