Nick Wood, a 1996 graduate of lawrence high and current LHS business teacher, is introduced as the new girls basketball coach Thursday at LHS. Wood takes over the program from Kristin Mallory, who resigned after eight seasons and more than 100 wins.

After taking nearly 20 applications, conducting seven in-person interviews with candidates and waiting more than three weeks more to pick a new girls basketball coach, it turns out that Lawrence High administrators did not have to look far after all.

Thursday, LHS introduced business teacher Nick Wood, an LHS graduate, as the program’s new head coach.

Wood replaces Kristin Mallory, who resigned in March after eight seasons and more than 100 victories, including the 2008 Class 6A state championship.

“I’m extremely honored and excited to take on this responsibility and this job,” Wood said Thursday at an introductory news conference. “Being a former athlete here, I know what it means to represent Lawrence High and the community, and it’s a special privilege.”

After graduating from LHS in 1996, Wood attended Kansas State University on a baseball scholarship.

In addition to leading the Lions in scoring during his senior season of basketball, Wood earned All-Sunflower League honors as a pitcher in baseball.

Shortly after arriving at KSU, Wood followed his heart back to basketball, enrolling at Independence Community College and then at Baker University, where he played out his collegiate career.

Following his playing days, the newest LHS coach spent two seasons as a graduate assistant to Jim Wooldridge at K-State and another season helping out with the boys program at Free State High.

Last season, Wood was the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Eudora High, where he coached alongside former Baker teammate Kyle Deterding.

“All of those experiences helped lead me to where I am today,” Wood said. “And I’m looking forward to getting going with the girls on the court.”

Unlike previous first-year coaches, Wood will have the advantage of a new set of Kansas State High School Activities Association rules that govern summer participation. Instead of being limited in both times and numbers, the new LHS coach will be able to work with his entire team right away.

“Personally, I’m a big fan of the new rules,” Wood said. “They allow me, as a first-year coach, to get in there and know the team instead of having to wait until tryouts in November.”

The rule change figures to benefit the LHS athletes, as well. Senior-to-be Jasmyn Turner was a part of the search committee LHS put together to find its new coach, and she came away impressed by what Wood had to offer.

“I thought it was cool because I felt like I was a part of the decision,” Turner said. “By first impressions, coach Wood seems like he’ll do a great job. He’s very enthusiastic, and I think he’ll be able to teach us some things, and we’ll be able to help him some, too.”

Wood inherits an LHS team that finished the 2008-09 season 10-12 but lost just two seniors to graduation, only one of whom played a single minute.

Despite not knowing exactly what he has in terms of personnel, Wood said he already has a few ideas about what identity his teams will have.

“In the end, it’s about competing for championships here,” Wood said. “I understood what that was all about as a player, and as a coach, I look forward to that challenge. We’re going to compete, we’re going to get after you, and we’re going to have a lot of fun at the same time.”