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WOODSFIELD - Mason Lang certainly subscribes to the idea of try, try and try again.
Lang saw his determination and patience pay off Wednesday evening when the Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education formally approved him as the new head boys basketball coach at Monroe Central High School.
For Lang, who is a 2008 Fort Frye High School graduate, the pursuit of the Seminoles job, which came open in May when highly successful head coach Jon Perkins resigned, is the fifth such position that Lang has sought.
"I knew going into most of my (coaching) interviews that my lack of high school (coaching) experience would hurt me," Lang said. "I am just happy that this one opened up and I was able to get it."
While excited and ready to jump right in, Lang realizes that being officially hired in basically late June isn't ideal. However, the Seminoles, who played in the OVAC Class 2A championship game in February, haven't been sitting around idle this summer.
"I would have liked to have gotten (the job) sooner, but I've been working with the kids since (earlier this month) and they went to a shootout in Marietta and just got back from the Marietta team camp," Lang advised. "The kids have also played in the St. Clairsville summer league and we've gotten a couple of workouts in, too. It's not ideal timing, but we've been able to make it work the best we can."
Lang brings almost a decade's worth ofcoaching experience with him to the Seminoles' helm. He cut his coaching teeth at the junior high level at Fort Frye. He then spent four seasons as an assistant girls coach at Beallsville, working under his wife - the former Tori Jarrett. The last three seasons have been spent working with the junior high boys' team at Skyvue, which feeds into Monroe Central.
"I have a good relationship with a lot of the kids, whether it's through junior high or AAU," Lang said. "It's nice for me and the players that they know what's in their future and we're able to build on what we've established."
As for what lies ahead for the Seminoles this winter, Lang believes it will start on the defensive end.
"We're going to play good, disciplined defense," Lang said. "We want to move the ball well on offense and be up tempo, but not (play) necessarily fast. We'll be disciplined on the offensive end, too."
Lang, who owns a bachelor's degree in mathematics education from Western Governor's University, has a Master's Degree in Sports Science from Ole Miss.
Mason and Tori have a seventh-month-old daughter, Keely.