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Gallatin County hires Patton as boys basketball coach

By Pete Spitler, The Southern

Friday, July 18, 2008 11:39 PM CDT

The coaching shuffle continues at Gallatin County, with the school district's announcement Thursday that Robert "Radar" Patton will replace departing boys basketball coach Chris Fromm.

Patton, who had been in charge of the girls basketball program in Junction, will try to improve a program that won just one game in 2007-08.

"The first thing is, we're not going to change a lot," Patton said. "(Chris) was a hard worker and he's done some things that I really liked."

Fromm stepped down from his position in order to take a job as principal for Gallatin County Junior High School. Both coaches have been preparing for the return of former Teutopolis boys basketball coach and Gallatin County native Ken Crawford, who is becoming the new athletic director at the high school and will assist Patton this fall.

"In order to put a good team on the floor, you've got to have a great staff," Patton said. "I've got a great assistant (Crawford) who's better prepared than any coach I've been around in my entire life."

Patton said that his son Shane has applied for the open girls head coach position.

"(Shane) has been my assistant the last couple of years," Patton said. "If he's hired, hopefully he'll continue the program from what he and I built there."

pete.spitler@thesouthern.com / 351-5073