More than 20 coaching changes rocked the offseason for Palm Beach County basketball programs.

Meet the new hires who will be hitting the floor for local girls and boys basketball teams below.

Dwyer back for state in 2024 - Who else? Palm Beach County hoopers to know as boys basketball season begins

Palm Beach County girls basketball: Names to know this winter season

Meet inaugural coaches for Dr. Joaquin Garcia

Antwan Harrington

Harrington, a graduate of Division I Coppin State University, will go down in the history books as the inaugural coach of the Bulldogs' boys basketball program. But it's not Harrington's first time coaching in Palm Beach County.

After four years as the JV boys basketball coach at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., he returned to the area to be an assistant coach at Oxbridge for three years before taking the head coach job at American Heritage-Delray, where he spent two seasons, in 2017.

Nesly Shackleton

Shackleton spent 15 years making his name in Broward County before landing in Palm Beach County. His first stint coaching girls basketball came at Monarch High in 2011 and paused from 2013 to 2019 as he spent time with his growing family. Shackleton returned to the Knights in 2019 and remained until 2023. In his last season, Monarch went 13-7 until a district quarterfinal upset by Spanish River.

Get to know new coaches on the boys scene

Mark Climo, Forest Hill

Climo's most recent stop was Palm Beach Gardens High, where he took the Gators to a 9-15 finish with a first-round exit at the hands of district runner-up Fort Pierce-Central. Now, Climo is at Forest Hill in hopes of breathing life back into the program that once belonged to now-Atlantic coach Tony Watson.

The Falcons went from a 20-6 region semifinal run in 2022 to 10-15 in 2023 with the loss of some impact seniors.

Jarrid Frye, Spanish River

Taking over for John Jones, Spanish River's coach of 35 years, Frye's transition from pro player to coach appears to be off to a good start.

After a 5-15 finish last winter, the Sharks have already begun revising the script this November with a 2-1 start, highlighted by a statement victory over Palm Beach Central. Spanish River is benefiting immensely from the lessons the 38-year-old brought from his college years at Division I Sacred Heart before hopping around Europe, Australia and China.

Dennis Hanna, Oxbridge

The ThunderWolves have made their third change since Antwan Harrington's exit following the 2021 season. However, Oxbridge, which finished 12-13 under Brandon Strassburger in 2023, is positioned for its first winning season since 2019, should Hanna's hire go well.

Mike Kelley, Seminole Ridge

It's been that much longer since a W-filled winter at Seminole Ridge. At least for the Hawks' boys basketball team. Ridge's last year in the win column came in 2015, when the then-8A squad went 15-12 under coach Kai Lee. Since the end of the Lee's controversial tenure in 2017, the now-6A program has struggled to find its footing, which saw the exit of Ridge's most recent coach, Anthony Whitfield.

Kelley's time as head coach has started with two losses — 66-16 to a locked and loaded Wellington and 53-32 to West Boca Raton — but there are still over 20 games left for Ridge to make a turnaround from 2023's 4-18 finish.

James Lake, Palm Beach Gardens

In Climo's place comes Lake, who was a name to know after forging a milestone season with the Lancers of John I. Leonard last winter. When Lake arrived at Leonard from his role as assistant coach at Jupiter High, he received a 2-11 crew. By the time he left, they were 18-8.

Brian Mullican, Jupiter Christian

Tavarus Harris' tenure has come to an end, but Mullican is looking to maintain Jupiter Christian's status as a playoff contender in 2024. Fortunately for the Eagles, his track record is proven, and on their home court.

Mullican earned Coach of the Year honors from the Sun Sentinel in 2019 after Jupiter Christian made a 24-6 run to the Class 3A final four. That season, the Eagles won their third district title and first-ever region championship.

John Saint Juste, Palm Beach Central

Palm Beach Central saw the same face at the helm for the past decade in coach Jason Pitman. This winter, the Broncos rest in the hands of John Saint Juste.

Central is eyeing a postseason berth in 2024 after falling victim to Lake Worth in district semifinals back in February. The Broncos finished 17-10.

Eddie Tolliver, John I. Leonard

Lake's departure from Leonard made room for Tolliver to take the reins. Before making the move to coaching, Tolliver spent his college years playing in the NJCAA at St. Petersburg College after a varsity career in Boca Raton.

Matt Vaughan, Dreyfoos

Following two seasons under Christopher Materdomini, who went 8-30, Vaughan is back in the driver's seat.

Dreyfoos' last winning record came before Vaughan's first go-round in the 2018-19 season when Jeff Stohr was head coach. In 2017, the Jaguars went 11-10, and have been chasing a string of success since.

Tony Watson, Atlantic

Atlantic High alum Rodney Dobard left a tall task in the Eagles' locker room. New hire Watson has the hope — or coaching resume — to fill it.

In the years leading up to a stint at Forest Hill capturing district titles and historic region championships, Watson served as an assistant coach at Palm Beach Atlantic and worked at Palm Beach Gardens High coaching up a handful of players for collegiate play, including his son and University of Buffalo alum Tony Watson II.

Who are the new faces for girls basketball?

Stephanie Berry, Glades Day

Former coach John Holman left Glades Day better than he found it six seasons ago. In her first season with the Gators, Berry inherits a team that most recently went 9-8.

Rodney Dobard, American Heritage-Delray

Dobard, who went 38-61 in five seasons at Atlantic High, will still be on a court near you this winter. This season at nearby American Heritage-Delray. The Florida State basketball standout inherits a team that went 3-11 under Eric Polk in 2023.

Judging by a 61-42 season opener win over Donna Klein Jewish Academy, the Stallions are starting on the right foot with Dobard. Time will tell if they can withstand such competition as Benjamin and Somerset-Canyons down the stretch.

Markus Emerson, Forest Hill

Former coach Nick Whittick took over a one-win team in 2017 and led Forest Hill to its first playoff victory in 2019. Going 5-9, 8-14, and 7-12, the Hawks proved to need a new start this winter.

Shannon LaMont, FAU High

The boys at FAU High aren't the only ones fielding a different face on the sidelines this winter. A 4-7 season under Dan Rosenfield in 2023 prompted a change for the Owls going into the new season.

Shalon Pillow, St. Andrew's

Pillow left her role as the head coach for FAMU women's basketball for a new beginning on the varsity courts. Victor Agapay's last season as head coach saw the Scots go 13-9 with a first-round exit in Class 3A state playoffs, leaving a good foundation on which to build.

St. Andrew's receives the former Tennessee standout after three years with the Rattlers, who went 4-14 in the last two seasons. In college, Pillow played in 108 games, including two Final Four appearances and four SEC Championships.

She became a highly touted figure on the sidelines after assisting programs at Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State, both making five postseason runs in the five seasons she spent at the respective universities.

Taylor Porth, Trinity Christian

Trinity Christian is still searching for the coach who will restore its winning ways. With losing records since a 14-8 run in 2012 with coach Luke McCray, Trinity has seen seven changes at head coach, including the hire of Porth.

In 2023, outgoing coach Catherine Whitcomb saw the Warriors to a 4-13 finish.

Josh Robinson, Berean Christian

Former girls basketball coach Kevin Green struggled with his new duty as head football coach when the school year began, which resulted in a quarrel with assistant coaches that led to his firing. Before Green's dramatic midseason exit, he'd spent three seasons transforming the Bulldogs on the hardwood from the 7-17 program he was given to one that went 13-4, 22-5, and, most recently, 18-7.

Robinson is building on the momentum of 2023's Class 2A region semifinal run with two wins already in November: a 38-35 victory over Benjamin and a 49-27 defeat of Cardinal Newman.

Brenda Scott, Boca Raton Christian

After being eliminated by Berean in the first round of Class 2A playoffs last winter, Boca Raton Christian is also bringing a new coach to the court for 2024. Nhu Nguyen led the Blazers to a 16-9 record, but it's Scott who will oversee the continued growth of the young group with raw talent.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach high school basketball: Meet the new coaches for 2023-24