By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Liberty High didn’t have to look far to find its varsity boys basketball coach.

Former Regina coach Stu Ordman will be the first varsity boys basketball coach in Liberty High history principal Scott Kibby announced on Wednesday.

Ordman takes over a Liberty program that will compete as an independent during the 2017-2018 before joining the Mississippi Valley Conference the following year.

“This is really important for Liberty going forward, Stu teaches the game,” Kibby said. “Stu is absolutely a teacher of the game he is always instructing kids and building their basketball IQ.”

Ordman is no stranger to the Iowa City hoops scene after winning 50 games in three seasons at Regina and leading the Regals to the Class 2A state title game in 2015.

He is also no stranger to Kibby.

Ordman worked with Kibby at at Cedar Rapids Jefferson where he won 233 games in 17 seasons as the head coach.

During his time at Jefferson, Ordman led the J-Hawks to the Class 4A state tournament four times, including three straight trips from 2010-2012.

“Stu knows me and is comfortable with me and knows what I’m about and my attitude about things,” Kibby said. “I know Stu so there is a huge benefit with the familiarity there.”

A 30-year coach veteran with more than 480 career wins, Ordman has coached boys basketball in Iowa for the past 20 seasons.

Ordman won at least 13 games in all three seasons at Regina leading the Regals to River Valley Conference South Division titles and Sub-state final appearances in each of his first two seasons.

Regina went 22-5 and made its first state title game appearance since 1979 in Ordman’s first season in 2015.

“He is super smart,” Kibby said. “You won’t out-work him, you won’t watch more film than him.”

Ordman has been a teacher at Cedar Rapids Jefferson since 1996, first as an English teacher and later in the Physical Education department and is retiring from teaching this spring

“He is going to be able to give 100 percent of his time to Liberty basketball,” Kibby said. “He is just going to eat that up.”