Originally published Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Prep Notebook | Jeff Altchech named Issaquah boys basketball coach

Even a month before Jeff Patrick decided to leave the Issaquah boys basketball coaching job, he was already lining up a possible successor...

By Tom Wyrwich

Seattle Times staff reporter

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Even a month before Jeff Patrick decided to leave the Issaquah boys basketball coaching job, he was already lining up a possible successor in assistant Jeff Altchech.

"He kind of posed the question to me: 'Would you take over for me if I leave?' " Altchech said.

So by the time Patrick resigned on March 31, Altchech had already thought it through, checked with his wife and two sons and was ready to apply. On Tuesday, Issaquah announced Altchech got the job.

"I'm very excited," he said. "It's all kind of sinking in here."

Altchech was Patrick's assistant from 1999-2003 and since 2006. In between, he was head coach for three seasons at Bellevue, with a 29-41 record before he was replaced by Chris O'Connor.

Issaquah finished 17-10 last season and 12-5 in KingCo 3A. The Eagles will move up to Class 4A next season, playing in a division with Redmond, Skyline, Eastlake, Newport and Garfield.

"I've got to be honest: I feel like I'm going out into a new galaxy," Altchech said. "It's going to be a challenge learning the teams, learning the personnel."

Altchech said Patrick has laid the groundwork for the program, and he expects to run it similarly, with one possible exception.

"To be honest, I'm probably a little more of an emotional guy," he said. "Maybe it's that Greek blood in me."

Issaquah also announced Chris Bennett has officially become head football coach. Bennett had been named to that post last spring, but a mistake on his résumé concerning his playing experience at Washington State led Issaquah to make Bennett the offensive coordinator last season, and the Eagles did not officially have a head coach.

Note

• Jocelyn Riordan, who lettered 12 times in soccer, basketball and track for Shorecrest High School, will play basketball at the University of Puget Sound next season. The senior was an All-WesCo South basketball selection last season.

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