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Pinewood Alum Jason Peery Returns to Pinewood as Hoops Coach

When the boys' varsity basketball season begins in November, Pinewood alum Jason Peery will be calling the shots from the sidelines. Jason, class of '89, played on the Panther "Dream Team" that competed in three consecutive CCS championships, three consecutive NorCal championship tournaments, and one Division 3 Northern California Championship game, all under Mark Gardner.

Jason says there were two main reasons he was lured back to Pinewood. One was a desire to "be a part of building an exciting basketball experience for the boys and the Pinewood community that the boys will always remember."  The other, he says, was a natural response based out of loyalty to Scott Riches (a former teammate), and Mr. Gardner (his coach), who wanted him to lead the program. "Their trust in me and their desire to get me back in the program was probably the key factor in my decision-making process" Peery says. "I've always had and always will have a loyalty to them due to everything we went through during those years [when I played]. I'm hoping the current boys will develop those kinds of bonds with each other as well, and that's exciting to be a part of."

Mark Gardner commented that the decision to hire Jason was easy for him as well: "When I coached Jason, it was like always having another coach on the floor.  His knowledge of the game, his ability to make adjustments during games, his dedication, work ethic, and love for basketball, all made him a great player. These same attributes make him an excellent coach. It was a no-brainer to have him coach once he was ready to make such a huge commitment."

Jason gained a wealth of experience over the last eight years by coaching two to three separate teams each winter, including NJB teams and Palo Alto Middle School 'A' teams.  Coaching feels natural, he says, saying it feels like he has been doing it his "whole life." Jason says he is excited about the group of dedicated players on his team and hopes that they have the kinds of memorable experiences he had competing for the Panthers. "This is a different team than that team [the '87-'89 teams]. I'm not going to start comparing teams. These guys are going to cut their own path and it's going to be a great one and it will be all theirs. They have a huge desire to work hard and to succeed, and they're coachable. If we can learn to be unified, a real team, we can accomplish some things that the boys won't forget. I have a lot of faith in these guys."

Jason and his wife, Lisa, currently live in Palo Alto with their six children, where he works in the real estate investment business. After graduating from Pinewood, Jason earned a degree in English from BYU-Hawaii and an MBA from BYU. Jason notes that the rigorous academic environment at Pinewood prepared him well for college, particularly when it came to writing effective essays and term papers. 

Pinewood is thrilled to have Jason back on the hardwood at Riches Gymnasium and wishes him - and the team - the best!

Posted - October 2008