Waterloo High School is turning to someone with a history of college success to transform its boys basketball program.

The Waterloo School Board unanimously approved extra-duty assignments for the 2020-21 school year on Monday night, including new coaches for the district’s basketball program.

At WHS, Scott Spinner is the new varsity boys basketball coach. 

“We’re very excited about that hiring,” incoming Waterloo Athletic Director Brian Unger said. “For those who don’t know, he’s the former basketball coach for Lindenwood (University-Belleville), and I think he’ll be a great hire for our basketball program.”

Spinner is the former executive director of the Monroe County YMCA and currently serves in that position for the O’Fallon YMCA. 

Other new boys basketball coaches the board approved were Collin Mingo for junior varsity, Matt Mason for eighth grade, Steve Stroh for seventh grade and Trevor Metzger for sixth grade.

Spinner succeeds Dane Walter, who resigned after his teams compiled a record of 43-111 over five seasons.

“I am excited to lead the Waterloo basketball program,” Spinner told the Republic-Times. “It has been three years since I stepped away from college coaching and I have missed impacting young people through basketball. My goal is to grow basketball in Waterloo, from pre-K to high school, to create a sustainable model for long-term success.”

Spinner is a 2003 graduate of DeSmet Jesuit High School who went on to enjoy a successful college hoops career as a player at Webster University. He is the all-time leader in assists at Webster and is a member of that school’s Hall of Fame.  

From 2009-2017, Spinner served as athletic director and head men’s hoops coach at Lindenwood University-Belleville, which competed in NAIA athletics. In fact, he’s the all-time winningest basketball coach in Lindenwood history at their St. Charles or Belleville campuses.

“We were nationally ranked in every season I coached,” he said. 

Spinner said he is bringing in WHS alum Allen Siedle for his coaching staff. Siedle, who played for Spinner at Lindenwood and then joined his staff as an assistant coach, won a junior high conference championship as a player at Waterloo.

“Allen is a tremendous coach and one of the best X’s and O’s minds that I have been around,” Spinner said. “As a player, he was a standout at the 1-5 positions… he could do it all.”

Mingo, also played for Spinner at Lindenwood and eventually helped coach as a graduate assistant.

“He was like having a coach on the floor as a player and I’m very excited to coach alongside him again,” Spinner said.  

Spinner and his wife have three daughters: 10-year-old Madi, 8-year-old Alli and 4-year-old Naomi.

“They all love basketball,” Spinner said.