Verhulst takes reins of RC men's basketball program

A month ago, Zack Verhulst was celebrating a trip to the NJCAA Men's Division I National Basketball Tournament as a member of T.J. Cox's staff.

Now, he's planning to take his own team to "The Big Show" in Kansas.

Verhulst, a former NCAA Division I assistant, was selected as the new head men's basketball coach at Ranger College. He replaces Cox, who accepted a position with Northwestern State University in Louisiana.

"T.J. did a great job re-establishing a strong tradition-rich men's basketball program," said RC Athletic Director Scott Norwood. "We appreciate everything he did and wish him the best. But we're excited about Coach Verhulst stepping in and taking this team to even greater heights."

"I feel very confident in his ability to add to our success her at Ranger College," he added.

Verhulst came to Ranger College as an assistant from Chipola College of Florida, another strong national contender in community college basketball. Prior to that, he served as an assistant at Eastern Michigan University.

In Ranger, Verhulst will take over a Rangers' program that has qualified for the national tournament in four of the past six seasons, including in 2019 when the team finished as the national runner-up.