Scott City has handed the reins of its high school boys basketball program to a recent alumnus, promoting assistant coach Lance Amick to the head position.

Amick, a 1999 graduate of Scott City, served as an assistant coach the past three years, the latter two under Kerry Thompson, who recently resigned to become a principal at the school.

"It's a great opportunity for me," said Amick, who's led the junior-varsity the last two seasons. "I'm really looking forward to the challenge and really looking forward to working with the kids I've got."

Amick, 22, is scheduled to graduate from Southeast Missouri State University in the summer with a degree in physical education. Along with coaching basketball, Amick also will teach physical education.

He was approved by the school board Wednesday night.

"We had other candidates that expressed interest, but he was the leading candidate," athletic director Fred Graham said.

Amick also was an assistant in football under coach Jason Burkman.

"He's done a good job for us," Graham said.

The Rams went 17-7 in the recently completed season. That followed an 11-14 season, Scott City's first losing season in more than a decade.

Amick spent his first year as an assistant under his former coach, Derek McCord, who took the head coaching position at Central High School after the 2001 season.

A starting guard his junior and senior years, Amick was part of McCord's highly successful 10-year run. During his four years at Scott City, the Rams compiled a 105-15 record, including four Scott-Mississippi Conference titles and three district crowns.

Scott City went 53-6 in Amick's junior and senior years.

"He was a very good player and a very smart player," McCord said. "He played with a lot of passion, and I'm sure he'll coach the same way."

jbreer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 124