Austin boys basketball hires Jamaal Gibson as new head coach

(ABC 6 News) — Austin boys basketball has found its new coach to lead the Packers into a new era.

Friday, Austin Public Schools announced the hiring of Jamaal Gibson as the next head coach of Packers boys hoops. This comes after longtime head coach Kris Fadness stepped down after 25 seasons of coaching the team.

Previously, under Fadness, the Packers had a school-most 407 wins, 15 straight winning seasons, six Big 9 Conference titles, and three State appearances.

Austin Public Schools released the following statement below on Gibson’s hiring:

"Austin Public Schools is excited to announce that Jamaal Gibson will be the next head coach of the boys basketball program.

Coach Gibson, a member of the Austin High School class of 2010, has been a part of Packer Basketball as both a player and an assistant coach, where he was on staff for four state tournament appearances, including a 2^nd place finish in the AAA tournament in 2017.

‘Austin Basketball is in Jamaal’s blood. He has a passion for the game, the players, the program, and the Austin community,’ says Austin Activities Director Katie Carter. ‘Coach Gibson will be a wonderful addition to our staff. He possesses the drive and willingness to learn and grow as he steps into this position to lead the next chapter of Austin Packers Boys’ Basketball.’

‘I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead this prestigious program that I have come to love over the years,’ says Coach Gibson. ‘Together we will keep this program one that the players, schools, and community of Austin are proud to support.’

Coach Gibson currently works for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) in Austin and holds an Associate of Arts degree from Minnesota State University – Mankato.

Coach Gibson will be succeeding Coach Kris Fadness, who led the AHS Basketball program to multiple state appearances over a long and distinguished coaching career."