DECLO, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Declo High School announced on Tuesday that Brad Caresia is the newest head coach to take over the successful girls’ basketball program.
He steps in for Cody Powers after his two seasons with the Hornets.
Caresia comes to Declo after two seasons being the head coach for the Burley Bobcats boys’ basketball team with an 8-36 record.
He joined the Declo staff in June and then assumed the position of head coach, a role he’s fired up to be in.
“I haven’t been this excited in a long time,” Caresia told KMVT. “They’re a great group of girls to work with, a great program, and we have all the tools in the making to build and get back to the state tournament which is the ultimate goal.”
Before being the head at Burley, he was an assistant with the 2017-2018 Burley team that finished second at state.
Caresia played basketball and graduated from Burley High School.
His dad, Roger, coached Burley’s girls team and won a state championship.
“For me, it’s always been about the right fit,” Caresia said. “I needed a spot to grow individually and a program that I could help lead to the next level.”
The Hornets have won three straight district tournaments and trips to the state tournament and are eying the fourth this winter.
Declo hasn’t won a state tournament game since the 2020 season.
Caresia knows the challenge of being in the new Southeast Idaho Conference and continuing with success.
“As far as the culture out here, we want to win,” Caresia noted. “That’s what we do out here. We’re going to get back to where we need to be so we can be in that position again.”
The Hornets will be without star guard this season Lilly Mallory along with four more graduating seniors in Aspen Peterson, Brynn Silcock, Ellie Erickson, and Aspen Osterhout.
Mallory, a two-conference player of the year for Declo, will play for Treasure Valley Community College.
Caresia noted sophomore Kaylee Rios and senior Reagan Ramsey will be some players to look out for come the winter.
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