Cheney High names boys' basketball coach

CHENEY - Travis Peevey is the new head coach for the Cheney Blackhawks varsity boys basketball team. Peevey will look to turn around the program that's produced just four wins (4-27) in the last two seasons.

"I am excited to announce that Travis Peevey will be our next boys' basketball head coach. He has extensive knowledge of the game, built on a lifetime of experiences gained from playing basketball in college and beyond," Cheney High School Athletic Director Tim Kennedy said in an email to the Free Press. "Combining his basketball knowledge with a commanding presence in the gym will help develop our high school athletes to pursue their goals, both on and off the court."

Peevey coached the freshman team last season and is looking forward to taking the helm of the varsity squad.

"I am very excited to be selected as the head coach of the boys basketball team. I'm ready to get to work moving this program in the right direction," Peevey said. "We have a great core group of kids that are hungry for success. My staff and I are going to teach work ethic, discipline and accountability that will not only result in success on the court, but develop leaders outside of basketball as well.

"I'm really looking forward to working with the athletes, school and community for years to come."

Peevey has two major fundamentals he'll stress to his team.

"They'll need to learn how to adapt to every situation and, most importantly, take care of the ball," he said.

Peevey added he loves to play the transition game and said he'll vary his offensive and defensive schemes against the tough GSL competition.

Kennedy described Peevey as a strong communicator and said his passion and love for the game would help grow the basketball program.

"Coach Peevey shined in both portions of the interview process. One of which was a practice session with some of our actual basketball athletes who gave insightful feedback to the selection committee on all candidates," Kennedy said. "While they did not have an actual vote in the decision when prompted to select their top choice, the overwhelming student choice was Coach Peevey, matching the selection committee's choice."

Aside from his coaching duties, Peevey holds a commercial pilot's license and is a certified flight instructor. He's also a substitute teacher in the Cheney School District, is an assistant tennis coach at the high school and is working on his master's degree in education at Eastern Washington University.

He's lived in Cheney for the past five years.

"I love it here," Peevey said. "We are in it for the long haul-it's great to be a part of this!"