By DOUG DONNELLY

OTTAWA LAKE – Nick Brillhart knows he’s getting a late start, but the new Whiteford varsity girls basketball coach isn’t any less excited for the season to start.

Brillhart was hired as the Bobcats head coach on Monday. Practice starts Nov. 20.

“I can’t wait to get started,” he said. “Everyone at the school has been nothing but welcoming.”

Brillhart is a 2001 Bedford graduate. He was a three-sport athlete at Bedford and played basketball for Bill Ryan when he was the varsity boys coach. He got his start into coaching by coaching the Bedford freshman girls’ team when Ryan was the girls’ varsity coach.

“I’ve played sports my entire life,” he said. “I love the game, the lessons it teaches you about life and having goals you can achieve with one another.”

He’s been the Bedford boy’s junior varsity coach for the last seven years and also coaches JV baseball at Bedford, a role he intends to keep.

He intends to meet with the players and other members of the Whiteford coaching staff this week ahead of Monday’s first practice.

Brillhart, 40, is married and lives in Temperance. He and his wife have three children. He is a University of Toledo graduate who is a CFO for a health care company in Toledo.

Whiteford went 8-13 last season under Jim Ross and interim head coach Shauna Rasor.

Ross stepped down two weeks ago due to health issues. He missed most of last season and was hoping to return this year. In his letter of resignation, he said he hopes to coach again.

“I had fully intended on coaching, thinking the health obstacles would improve at a faster rate than they did,” Ross said.  “In retrospect, I should have resigned earlier but held onto the hope that it would all work out. I will sorely miss it; I loved working with the girls in this program.”