Dustin Eads isn’t looking back at his time some 10 years ago as the Clinton-Massie boys basketball coach.

He’s looking forward and hopes to continue moving the program forward as he takes over as head coach. Pending approval of the Clinton-Massie Board of Education during its meeting Monday, Eads will be the next boys basketball head coach at Clinton-Massie. He takes over for Steve Graves.

Eads is an Intervention Specialist on the Laurel Oaks Career Campus. He and Grace, his wife of 17 years, have three children, Paxton 15, Irene 9, and Dax 1.

After leaving Clinton-Massie, Eads was an assistant basketball coach at Dayton Carroll, Wilmington, Cincinnati St. Xavier and again at Dayton Carroll. At WHS and at St. Xavier, Eads worked with Michael Noszka.

“I am not focused on what happened the last time I was coaching at Massie and am looking forward to the future and what we can build,” he said. “I am happy that I was able to coach here and what we achieved which allowed me other great opportunities to work with two very successful coaches.”

Eads took over the Massie program in 2014 from Brian Mudd.

“Coach Mudd taught me a lot and having the varsity experience allowed me to understand what all is required and needed to lead a program,” said Eads.

Even after leaving Massie in 2016, Eads wanted to be a head coach. He just had to wait for the right time.

”I knew I always wanted to be a head coach again but I didn’t apply for other jobs when I was an assistant the last eight years,” said the 1988 graduate of CMHS. “I was going to be very selective to leave a great place as an assistant to go somewhere to be a head coach. I wanted the right fit and a really good school where my children could go and we could be in a great community. We are very thankful as a family that we were already there.”

What Eads learned while an assistant coach has helped make him a better head coach

“Being around coach Cogan and coach Noszka helped me grow as a coach and also gave me more confidence in myself and giving me great experiences that has allowed me to grow and challenge myself as a coach,” said Eads. “Working with the coaches allowed me to continue to grow as a coach and learn what it takes to win at the highest level. My philosophy hasn’t changed, it has grown and evolved, but what has changed are my expectations of our players and program. Being able to coach in the GCL has shown me what it takes to win and compete at the highest level. I have been able to coach players who have achieved great things in multiple sports in the toughest league. Being around those student-athletes who were such high achievers just solidified the great things our athletes can do at Clinton-Massie in multiple sports. I’m excited for the opportunity to work with the student-athletes and to coach again at Clinton-Massie.”