Virgin Valley’s Sean FitzSimons takes over Lincoln County boys basketball in school’s coaching shake-up

Sean FitzSimons is moving his coaching home from Mesquite to Panaca next season.

The Virgin Valley boys basketball coach said Thursday that because of personal reasons, he is leaving the Bulldogs and has accepted the same position with Lincoln County.

“It’s pretty emotional,” FitzSimons said. “I feel like we kind of built something here.”

Under FitzSimons, the Bulldogs went 20-9 last season and reached the Class 3A Southern Region semifinals. The Bulldogs made the postseason in each of FitzSimons’ five years as head coach.

Lincoln County, a member of the Class 2A Southern League, went 6-17 last season, and FitzSimons will be the Lynx’s third coach in three years. The team last reached the postseason in 2015, and won the state title in 2013.

“Anytime you take over a new program you want to get your culture and ideals and your coaching strategy in there,” FitzSimons said. “(The) 2A Southern has some of the more exciting basketball anywhere.”

FitzSimons’ move was part of a flurry of moves for Lincoln County. Football coach Rich Ottley and departing boys basketball coach Ken Thornock took jobs with C.O. Bastian High, and a new Lincoln County School District rule prohibits employees of C.O. Bastian from holding head coaching positions at other schools.

Ottley will remain with the team as offensive coordinator, and assistant football coach and head baseball coach Raymond Wadsworth will take over head coaching duties for the football team.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Wadsworth said. “I look forward to learning a lot and having some new experiences.”

Contact Justin Emerson at jemerson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2944. Follow @J15Emerson on Twitter.