COLUMBIANA — Crestview is turning to an experienced coach across multiple disciplines to turn its boys basketball program around.

The Crestview Board of Education approved the hiring of Lou Mateo, 45 of Boardman, for its head boys basketball coaching position at its special Board of Education meeting on Sunday.

Mateo, a 1997 Struthers High School graduate, comes to Crestview after years of helping several Struthers athletic programs. He’s been an assistant with the Struthers football program for the last 14 years and the head track and field coach for the last eight years. In addition, he has been an assistant with the Wildcat basketball program for the last five years.

Mateo, an assistant road supervisor for Poland Township in addition to holding other jobs, said he’s all about doing as much as possible and that reflects in his coaching philosphy where he encourages kids to take on multiple sports if they can.

“I’ve never known anyone who was successful say back in their past that they wished they had done less,” Mateo said. “For me, it’s teaching our kids that doing more is acceptable. More is what you want to be doing in life. I want those kids to invoke that belief and be as energetic as I am.”

Mateo’s basketball playing experience came during his freshman and sophomore years at the old Youngstown East High School. During his stint as an assistant basketball coach at Struthers, he learned under the guidance of Mike Wernicki who had plenty of college coaching experience before taking on the head coaching position at Struthers in 2018.

“I also learned a lot this year while helping Luke Polito with the jayvees. He just took the head coaching job at Liberty,” Mateo said.

Mateo said he went after the Crestview job because he wanted to try something new in a new community he wasn’t so familiar with. He said he was impressed with the overall athletic culture at Crestview and felt that was somewhere he wanted to be.

“I wanted to go there and help make a difference there,” Mateo said.

Mateo is not coming into Crestview without any previous links to the Rebel athletic program. Crestview athletic director Casey Bogerd coached along side Mateo with the Struthers football program for two years.

Mateo said his top assistant will be Mike Colaneri, a former Struthers standout in football and basketball.

“He’s a great man with a wealth of knowledge,” Mateo said. “He’s a great guy to be around for our football players who are also on the basketball team as well. He’s showing them you can do more and you should do more.”

Mateo has already met with the players in grades 7 through 12 and he said he wants everyone to practice acceptance because working toward a common goal will be a big theme of his program.

“Coming from different backgrounds or different religious beliefs or whatever it is, everyone has to work together for the common goal which is the team,” Mateo said.

Mateo replaces veteran coach Rick Gates who stepped down in April after going 41-76 over five seasons in his second stint as Rebel boys head coach.

Crestview’s boys basketball team has not won a district title since 2000.