Durtsche named WCA 3A boys basketball coach of the year

The Wyoming Coaches Association announced the 2025 Winter Sports Season selections for Coach of the Year awards earlier this month, and Lovell High School boys basketball coach Shane Durtsche was named as the 3A winner.

Fresh off the Bulldogs’ state championship season and already being named the 3A West Conference coach of the year, Durtsche can now add this prestigious award to his accolades.

“Coach Durtsche is well-deserving of this recognition,” Lovell High School athletic director Chris Edwards said. “He brings an unwavering commitment to demanding a strong work ethic from the players in his program, and one of the traits that sets him apart as a basketball coach is his ability to mold his players to challenge themselves to play at a level of intensity that most high school athletes aren’t comfortable playing at.”

Edwards credits Coach Durtsche for spending countless hours in the summer with his athletes attending team camps, working out in the weight room and developing their skills during open gyms.

“Under his guidance, his teams have demonstrated the ability to play with resilience and grit that allows them to overcome any obstacles in front of them,” Edwards said. “He is able to connect with his athletes off the court, which establishes the necessary relationships needed to build team chemistry that breeds success.”

The athletic director praised Durtsche on his ability to manage team dynamics, which he said is one of the most challenging aspects of coaching high school athletes. 

“Coach Durtsche recognizes the motivation tactics needed by each individual athlete and has sometimes the ‘tough love’ approach with athletes when necessary,” Edwards said. “It has been an honor to work with him as an athletic director, and I look forward to watching the success he has next year and future years to come.”

Durtsche and other selections were chosen by their fellow WCA coaches and are scheduled to be honored at a ceremony at the WCA Clinic and Hall of Fame weekend in Casper this summer.