Mike Massaro, right, is replacing Dave Ryder, left. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Dave Ryder, Pueblo East’s longtime boys basketball coach, retired after winning the Class 4A championship in March.
The Eagles didn’t wait long to name a successor — nor did they step outside the program. On Wednesday, Pueblo East announced it had hired Mike Massaro, who has been an assistant at the school for ten seasons, all of them under Ryder.
Massaro graduated from Pueblo East, and then CSU-Pueblo. He went on to play minor league baseball for nine years.
“We are thrilled to have coach Massaro as our new head coach,” Pueblo East principal Patrick Krumholz said in a statement. “He is a hard worker and we are confident that he will be a positive role model for our student athletes.”
Added Mike Bayer, the school’s athletic director: “Coach Ryder will be missed, but we feel coach Massaro is the right man to lead the program forward.”
Pueblo East beat Denver South in the 4A title game, capping a 23-5 season. Senior Dylan Gavin was a first-team all-state selection after the season, and fellow seniors TJ Gradisar and Jimmy Valdez were third-team picks.
Next season, the Eagles will miss those three, who were the team’s leading scorers. Also graduating are Alex Jara and Ryan Armijo — the Nos. 4 and 5 scorers from this season.