This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Garrett Wilson was still in shock, but he's beginning to believe.
After two seasons on the bench at Taylorsville, Wilson was named the next boys' basketball coach at Brighton, The Tribune confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
"I've pinched myself a few times, but I'm still feeling the pain, so I guess I must be awake," Wilson quipped. … ""What a storied program to be a part of now. It's a dream come true for me. It's a top-notch program that any coach could only dream about."
Wilson finished with an overall record of 14-32 with the Warriors, which is why the hire is considered somewhat of a surprise. He is, however, inheriting a significant increase of talent with the Bengals.
"I sat them down and talked to them. That was tough," Wilson said of his players at Taylorsville. "You hate to say goodbye to anybody, and those kids have been so great. They worked so hard for me. It was hard for me."
Wilson, who served as an assistant coach at West Jordan and Bingham before taking over the Taylorsville program, replaces Jeff Gardner in Cottonwood Heights. Gardner accepted the head coaching position at Skyridge High, which is set to compete in the 4A classification in Lehi next season. Gardner compiled an 81-47 record in five seasons at Brighton, including leading the team to 10 playoff wins and two appearances in the Class 5A state championship.
Wilson said he's determined to "continue to build upon the success Brighton has had" by using his own philosophy of aggressive man-to-man defense and an uptempo approach on offense.
— Trevor Phibbs
Twitter: @trevorphibbs