A fresh perspective and new eyes have joined the varsity girls’ basketball team this season. Crete, Nebraska native, Wes Goranson, a 2007 high school graduate and multi-sport athlete, is stepping back onto the hardwood, but this time as an assistant coach for Gretna East. With a history in athletics and a professional career as an attorney at Kutak Rock, a law firm in Omaha, Coach Goranson brings new experience to the bench in hopes of meeting the team’s goals.
Goranson’s return to the court has already proved exciting for both the coaching staff and players. Junior Taryn French is looking forward to having him as a resource.
“I’m excited for him to be on the bench,” French said. “He is another coach that we can go to for advice. He brings a male perspective and is a little harder on us, kind of like Coulter in that sense.”
Head Coach Wade Coulter echoed French’s statements, emphasising the value Goranson brings to the team.
“He’s another set of eyes that have been around the high school game,” Coulter said. “He worked with my father-in-law previously coaching boys in Lincoln, so there is a trust factor there. He comes highly recommended and is willing to help us reach our ceiling as a team.”
The staff values the blend of basketball knowledge and dedication Goranson brings to the table. Despite being away from the game for numerous years, his enthusiasm for helping the team succeed is clear.
“I am excited to watch the girls develop over time and, hopefully, win a State championship,” Goranson said.
Goranson’s journey in sports traces back to high school, where he balanced football in the fall, basketball in the winter, track for a couple of years in the spring and eventually golf during his senior year. After graduating, he decided not to compete in college athletics and pursued a degree in finance at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Despite leaving competitive sports behind, his love for the game never faded.
From 2010 to 2016, Goranson served as a boys’ basketball coach at a small school in Lincoln, Nebraska, called Parkview Christian. During that period, he sharpened his coaching skills and grew a passion for mentoring young athletes. With the arrival of his children, Goranson decided to step away from coaching to focus on growing his family with his wife. Now with his daughters getting older, he is ready to make a comeback.
“I joined the staff because I saw it as a good opportunity to get involved within the Gretna community,” Goranson said. “I wanted to get my girls into the gym a little more, and this group of girls is a pretty easy group to work with.”