Brandon Wolfe hired as Cheyenne South boys basketball coach
May 22—CHEYENNE — There isn't anyone more familiar with the Cheyenne South boys basketball roster Brandon Wolfe is inheriting as the head coach than Wolfe himself.
That's because Wolfe coached the Bison's sophomore and junior-varsity squads before spending last season as a varsity assistant. He was announced as South's new boys basketball coach late Tuesday afternoon.
"I've done every level and learned a lot for those head coaches," Wolfe said. "It's always been a goal of mine to be a head coach, and I'm excited to get that chance with the South High Bison.
"I thank the school for this opportunity, and my family and friends for all their support. ... I'm excited for this new journey."
Wolfe, 30, succeeds Chad DeBruyn, who stepped down after two seasons at the helm. South was 4-42 during that time, including 0-23 this past season. Wolfe also spent three seasons as an assistant under Jeff Bailey.
"I appreciate everything (DeBruyn) did for me the last couple years," Wolfe said. "He's been a great mentor and great friend, and set me up to have this opportunity, so I appreciate everything he and the school have done for me the past couple years. I'm excited to get going and change the narrative at South High School."
DeBruyn's efforts to get the Bison headed to sustained success started off the court, Wolfe said. It's work he hopes to continue while gaining traction on the court.
"We focused a lot on the classroom," Wolfe said. "We took that as one of our objectives. A couple years ago was the first time we didn't have any eligibility issues in the big gym. Last year, we finished with a (grade point average) of 3.0 or better, and were recognized by the state for it.
"We've been taking care of business in the classroom; now we need to carry that over to the basketball court."
Wolfe hopes to do that by investing in the offseason.
"There's been a lot of commitment from me and a lot from the kids," he said. "One of the big things we have to do is get a lot of work in over the summer to build our skills, build our IQ, hit the weight room, and get a little bigger, stronger and tougher.
"... The summer and offseason are going to be huge for us. We have to get some consistency and commitment from the boys and go from there."
The five seniors South graduated from this year's team comprised the starting lineup, but there are players returning who saw significant playing time and made notable contributions.
"You have to have an adaptable philosophy and things you do that fit the group of kids you have," Wolfe said. "We're going to have to be tougher and defend. We're going to have to start with defense and make people play 94 feet and use our endurance to wear them out."
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Jeremiah Johnke is the WyoSports editor. He can be reached at jjohnke@wyosports.net or 307-633-3137. Follow him on X at @jjohnke.
