AAU coach takes over Gaston Day girls

GASTONIA — Harry Adams says he likes taking on a challenge.

The longtime Mount Holly Stars AAU coach has accepted the head girls basketball coaching position at Gaston Day in hopes of resurrecting a program that fell on hard times last season.

“I thought I’d give it a shot,” Adams said. “I like going in and building something.”

Adams takes over for Josh Lutkus, who stepped down after one season to focus on his new duties as assistant athletic director. The new coach wants to return the Spartans to their winning ways of 2005 to 2007, when they won three consecutive state titles. Gaston Day reached the second round of the state playoffs the next two years but failed to qualify for the postseason this past winter.

Adams is director of the Mount Holly Stars AAU basketball program, where he has spent the past 26 years developing some of Gaston County’s top girls basketball players.

He most recently served as middle school girls head coach and varsity girls assistant at Gaston Christian School. Three varsity players who helped the Eagles to an 18-7 record this past season plan to transfer to Gaston Day, Adams said, including top rebounder and shot blocker Jordan Whitesides. Sydney Stephens (9.2 rpg, 3 bpg) and Morgan Whitesides are the other two, Adams said.

Adams previously coached at Stanley Middle School, where he was an assistant for the 2004 county championship team and head coach for the 2005 county runner-up.

Gaston Day will formally introduce Adams to the school community 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Henry Center’s upper dining hall. All Gaston Day families are invited. Adams wants to meet girls of all ages and skill levels who are interested in participating in the basketball program.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.