Mike Lewis, the new Lawrence High boys basketball coach, greets a few of next year’s players during Lewis’ introductory news conference Monday at LHS.

Judging by the smile plastered on Mike Lewis’ face Monday, his latest career move is one that he had been looking forward to for quite some time.

In some ways, that time could be measured by the three years Lewis spent as the junior varsity boys basketball coach at Lawrence High. In other ways, it could be judged by the nine years he spent coaching boys and girls basketball at Southwest Junior High.

But it really all began back in college. That’s when the newly named Lawrence High varsity boys coach — Lewis officially was introduced as the Lions’ new leader on Monday — first showed off his coaching talents to the world.

Of course then, when he and a couple of college roommates coached youth basketball in Lawrence while attending KU, the concept of teaching a bunch of elementary school athletes was a far cry from the job that lies ahead.

Then, Lewis was in charge of explaining the fundamentals of the game he loves. Now, he’s in charge of one of the most prestigious high school basketball programs in the state.

“I have tremendous respect for the tradition that makes Lawrence High so special and I look at this opportunity as an honor and a privilege,” Lewis said. “I hope to create some new traditions but at the same time also keep alive some of the great traditions from the past.”

Lewis spent the last three seasons as a right-hand man of sorts to former LHS coach Chris Davis, who retired earlier this month after nine years at LHS. Although he’s well aware of the obstacles he’ll face during his first year — and perhaps first few years — as a varsity coach, Lewis said the experiences he had with Davis will make the transition easier.

Davis is a believer, as well.

“More than anything, Mike has great integrity,” Davis said. “I really trust and respect him. He knows more basketball than I did when I started and I think he’s going to do an excellent job.”

Lewis, 34, said applying for the job was a no-brainer when he heard of Davis’ decision to step down. Now, he’s hoping that it’s a no-brainer that Davis will be around to offer up advice whenever he should need it.

“I hope he’s just a phone call away,” Lewis said of his mentor. “He’s a tremendous person to have supporting me and this program.”

Lewis inherits a team that has just two returning players with varsity experience and a program which sets its expectations as high as possible each season.

In some ways, starting with a young and inexperienced group could be just what Lewis needs to feel comfortable. In a sense, the young team and young coach may learn together on the fly.

“I’m a younger coach and I’m inexperienced at this level and I know there will be challenges,” Lewis said. “But I look forward to those challenges. Besides, I might have a few tricks up my sleeve, the young guy might even surprise some people from time to time.”

The most likely candidates for surprise include the long list of well-established Sunflower League coaches Lewis will now battle with on an annual basis.

“He’ll be going up against some of the long tooths in the Sunflower League who have a lot of experience,” Davis said. “There are five or six coaches in the league who have 20 years of experience or more. But Mike’s done some varsity stuff for us in the past. He’s been through a lot of things that a first-year coach usually hasn’t been able to experience.”

Lewis, a 1993 graduate of Hiawatha High and a 1997 graduate of KU, said he prefers to play tough defense and a fast-paced, wide-open style of offense. He made sure to emphasize, however, that one of the many things he learned from Davis was that a coach has to adapt to the personnel he has.

“I like to play man-to-man defense and I like to spread the court and go fast on offense,” Lewis said. “But I also understand that you have to have the athletes to do that.”

It remains to be seen whether Lewis will during his time at LHS. But having the gumption to tackle any challenge thrown his way head on doesn’t figure to be a problem.

Because of the unusual timing of the Lions’ latest changing of the guard, Lewis showed up to Monday’s introductory news conference with a practice schedule for the remainder of the summer. He distributed it to the handful of players who were in attendance on Monday and appeared to be right in the swing of things already.

“I look forward to coaching at the highest level in the best league in Kansas and I plan to emphasize the idea of team before me,” he said. “That’s why you come to Lawrence High, to be on the big stage.”