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PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill. -- In the last 49 years, the Pinckneyville Panthers basketball program has had just two head coaches � Dick Corn and Bob Waggoner. They combined for 1,094 total wins and two state titles.

This season, PCHS is adding a new name to its short coaching tree � Matt Laur.

"Coach Waggoner did a great job in his time here, and before him, Coach Corn, both guys that I’ve known extremely well over the years, guys that I have the ultimate respect for. I am certainly going to lean on them for mentorship during my transition here," said new Head Coach, Matt Laur.

Coach Laur is no stranger to Southern Illinois hoops. Before taking the job at Pinckneyville, he was the boys basketball coach at Freeburg High School for eight seasons, where he had a record of 129-103.

Prior to his time with the Midgets, Laur spent three seasons with the Steeleville Warriors. The McKendree grad plans on bringing lessons he learned at both schools to PCHS.

"I think as coaches, we all bring a little bit of something from every stop we had, whether it be as a player or as a coach, and you learn along the way, and you never stop learning. This will be my 20th year as a coach, and I want to continue to learn...I’ll bring a little bit from every stop along the way, and that will make our team who we are,� said Coach Laur when asked about what he plans on bringing to the team. 

The Panthers finished with an overall record of 28-7 last season. They went all the way to the 2A Super-Sectional, where they came just two points away from the state tournament. With all of the team’s success, Coach Laur says the program is not starting from scratch.

"We’re not going to change a whole lot. They’ve done things the right way, they work hard, they’re fundamentally sound and we’re going to take the foundation that they’ve laid over the years, and we’re going to build on it and not a whole lot’s going to change."

Although the season is still six months away, Laur is ready to get to work this summer. 

"I certainly can’t wait. We’re excited, my family is excited, we’re going to spend a lot of time this June getting our stuff in and have a good training camp this June. Can’t wait till the Winter gets here and the popcorn’s really popping, and we’re ready for the games."

Coach Laur met the team for the first time two weeks ago, and wasted no time, they played in their first summer games the following day. 

The Panthers are hosting a few summer round-robin games with area teams throughout the summer.