LIBERAL, Kan. – Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rylee Hernandez has hired Assistant Coach Zach Cave to help lead the program.
Assistant Coach Zachary Cave enters his first season for the Seward County Basketball program for the 2023-24 season.
Coach Cave has over a decade of coaching experience at multiple levels with his last stop being during as an Assistant coach for the Kigali Titans of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL, Division 2). During his time in Rwanda Coach Cave was in charge of small group and individual training, organizing practice and handling team events. Zachary coached and recruited Eli Cave, the RBL Division 2 league MVP.
Before his latest stop in Rwanda Coach Cave spent two seasons as the Assistant Coach at Benedictine University – Mesa. During his time in Phoenix, AZ Zachary helped the team clinch a birth to the 2021-22 NAIA Tournament with star center Maurice Walton, who was directly coached by Zachary. Under Coach Cave’s guidance, Walton was an NAIA All-American, two-time All-Conference and 2021-22 Cal Pac Tournament MVP. Coach Cave also worked with another big in Tanner Crawford who broke the school record for blocks in in back-to-back seasons from 2021-22 & 2022-23. At Benedictine, Zachary handled film breakdowns, player development and team operations.
While at Benedictine, Coach Cave split time in Rwanda as the Kigali Titans (RBL Division 1) Head Coach from May of 2022 to August of 2022. He handled all team roster management, domestic and international sponsorships, team training and individual trainings. Prior to his stint with the Titans, Coach Cave also spent time on the coaching staff of the IPRC Musanze who are also in the RBL.
Prior to his coaching in Rwanda, Coach Cave spent time coaching in Minnesota as the Assistant Boys Varsity Coach for Park Cottage Grove High School (PCGHS). Zachary spent two seasons at PCGHS (2018-20) after spending the previous two seasons (2016-18) as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach at Hmong College Prep Academy in St. Paul, MN.
While in Minnesota and coaching at the high school level, Zachary spent time as the Co-Director and Coach of Minnesota Select Basketball from 2016-2020. His duties included facilitating rosters, managing budget for 20-25 teams per AAU season, and scheduling team travel and logistics.
Assistant Coach Zachary Cave is the oldest of five kids to Molly and James Cave.