Elma didn’t have to look very far to find their next varsity boys basketball coach. In fact, all Elma High School officials had to do was go to the elementary school to get him.

Jeff Niemi, an Elma Elementary School physical education teacher who coaches middle school football at Elma Middle School and varsity girls basketball at Aberdeen High School, was named the new head varsity boys basketball coach recently.

Niemi is also a former Elma girls basketball assistant coach and will step away from Aberdeen’s girls program after one season at Sam Benn Gym. The Bobcats went 6-14 in the Evergreen 2A Conference in Niemi’s one season as head coach. Former Elma boys basketball coach Marvin Prince stepped down in March after 14 seasons.

“I told the (Aberdeen) girls that this is the one position I’d leave for,” Niemi said. “This is the perfect fit. I’ve coached in Elma over the last four years, I’m teaching P.E. there and I got to know the kids.

“This is also a great spot for me and my family,” he added. “My wife (Aubria) is the secretary at Elma High School and my kids go to school in Elma. I feel bad for the girls and I told them this had nothing to do with them, but everything to do with what is best for my family.”

Niemi will step into an Elma program that lost its core group of players to graduation and will be rebuilding. He noted that he’s prepared for the work, including starting a youth program that he can be a part of at the elementary school level.

“What I want to do is get some consistency and depth throughout the program over the next couple of years,” Niemi said. “I got to know the kids, especially coaching middle school football and basketball. That was a factor. I know how serious about sports they are. I really believe the kids who are in the program and will be coming into the program will work hard to get it back going again. This is a good sitation to be at.”