New Blue Dragon Men’s Basketball Coach Kyle Fisher Ready to Get a New Era Started

By Kaleb Moore
Staff writer
IG: @kalebmoore05

Hutchinson Community College cast out a line in search of their new men’s basketball coach, and they reeled in the big one.

On May 22, Kyle Fisher was named the 16th coach in Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball history. Fisher picks and rolls into Hutchinson with plenty of coaching experience, having been stationed in El Dorado at Butler Community College for the past five years. Before that, he worked on coaching staffs at Coffeyville, Southwestern Iowa and Eastern Arizona College.

Fisher fell in love with basketball from the very beginning. His father played college basketball and later on coached Fisher and his siblings.

“I’ve always loved the thrill of competition,” Fisher said.

Chasing that high led Fisher down a playing path of his own, playing at Washburn University.

With a new coach comes a new team, and Fisher wants people to know that there’s one goal. “Our goals within this program are to win championships year in and year out,” Fisher said.

The Blue Dragons haven’t held the national championship trophy since 2017, so Fisher hopes to bring glory back to Hutchinson.

For the basketball junkies, Fisher runs a defensive centric system. He preaches smart, physical basketball and intends on ensuring that his players can defend and rebound at a high level. Fisher has learned a few things from coaches that he has worked under, most notably former Washburn head coach Bob Chipman – the 24th winningest coach in college basketball history.

Fisher says the one thing that stuck throughout the years has been that “you’ve got to have good players.”

The Blue Dragons have gone through quite the amount of roster changes, with 13 new players coming into town and only returning one player, so everyone learning the new system will be a point of improvement as the season progresses.

Behind any great head coach is an even greater supporting staff, and Fisher said he is confident in his crew.

“I have the best coaching staff in all of junior college basketball,” he said.

Marques Towns comes with Fisher from Butler, where they two captured a regional championships together. The two worked alongside each other for four years now, developing a strong relationship. Towns said, “[Fisher] is a guy who gets it, which is why it has been hard for me to leave.” Speaking on some of the things Fisher brings to a basketball team, Towns added that Fisher “has zero ego when it comes to basketball. He is unafraid of going beyond his comfort zone and trying new things.”

Vince Fritz comes from the Kansas City area, and he has been on coaching staffs at Southern Illinois, UMKC and Nebraska. He also spoke to Fisher’s character, saying “He does a great job of getting his team to play hard and play together everyday. It is a great opportunity ti be with such a great program with even better people.” With their help, the Blue Dragons intend on getting better with each and every game.

Off the court, Fisher claims he is a “pretty simple man”. He is married and has two daughters, and family is the most important thing to Fisher. Much like their parents, the girls are constantly running around doing sports, and that keeps Fisher busy most of the time. If he has any free time, Fisher enjoys golfing and rooting on his hometown Kansas City Chiefs. He is also in search of the best chicken wings in town, so if there is a hidden spot he should try, he encourages anyone to send the information his way.

A new era of HutchCC men’s basketball has arrived, and the expectations are high. Kyle Fisher is ready for his squad to suit up and start playing some ball so he can show everyone he is a great white shark and not a guppy.

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