The Long Beach High School Bearcats basketball team has a new head coach. The Board of Trustees voted tonight to hire Kevin Hunt to fill the Bearcats Head Coaching position. Athletic Director Shane Rutledge is eager to work with Coach Hunt. “The Long Beach School District has concluded its coaching search, and it was quite an exciting process,” Rutledge said. “We had interest from many terrific basketball coaches. I am looking forward to working with our new head coach Mr. Kevin Hunt. Coach Hunt possesses a wealth of experience from leading programs in Louisiana as well as his home state of Arkansas. We know Coach will set high expectations for his players and accept no less than their best effort on and off the court. “When asked about his goals for the Bearcats, Hunt wants to build the program. He feels it is important to not just have a strong team, but to build a strong program. “My ultimate goal would be to win a state title. But more importantly, to build a consistent, strong, self-sustaining program which would run from elementary students through high school,” Hunt said. Superintendent Dr. Talia Lock is happy to have Hunt join the Bearcat family in Long Beach. “I’m looking forward to watching our Bearcat Boys Basketball program continue to flourish with Coach Hunt’s leadership after this year’s successful growth,” Lock said. Hunt is a graduate of Henderson State University. Throughout his more than 18-year coaching career, Hunt has earned numerous honors and taken his teams to state playoffs and championships.