Girls Basketball: Paul Appel hired as Avon Lake coach

To say it's been a big week for new Avon Lake girls basketball coach Paul Appel is quite the understatement. Four days after getting married, the 29-year-old Appel was named the head coach at Avon Lake, taking over for Dave Zvara, who resigned after leading the Shoregals program for 11 years. "It is a huge honor for me to get a job like this for my first head coaching job. It's a job I've had my eye on and I'm extremely excited and looking forward to getting starting," said Appel, who is honeymooning in St. Lucia. "It is exciting to take over a program that won a district championship five years ago and is always a consistent player in the SWC." Appel, a 2011 Westlake grad who ran track and played soccer and basketball for the Demons, has been an assistant coach for Westlake since returning home from college at Michigan State University. "When I got home I started coaching with the boys program at Westlake," Appel said. "About four years ago I joined the girls side of the program and coached with Karen Swanson Haan and then Cory Rojeck." Avon Lake athletic director Brent Shremp had the opportunity to see Appel in action when the Demons were in the Southwestern Conference prior to the 2021-22 school year. Shremp was even more impressed by the passion Appel showed in his interview. "His passion and excitement for basketball showed through. He talked about his commitment to his players and really wanting young student-athletes to be successful," Shremp said. "Head coaching experience is important, but it's not the be all and end all of finding someone who is a perfect fit and will bring excitement to a program." Working under a number of different head coaches at Westlake, Appel learned about the game of basketball as well as the game of life. "Everything I've learned from all of the coaches I've worked with over the past 10 years has prepared me to be a head coach," Appel said. "There are some different offensive and defensive philosophies I've learned over the years, but the biggest thing I've learned from all the coaches I've worked with is that relationships matter. Getting to know the players on and off the court and working with them in different settings is crucial because the more you work with a kid and the better you get to know them, they will want to play for you and do their best for their school." Appel is taking over an Avon Lake team that went 5-16 last season but played a number of freshmen and sophomores who will be coming back with a year of varsity experience under their belts. "I'm fairly familiar with the girls on the team. I have watched about 10 of their games from last year on film," Appel said. "I want to have one-on-one meetings with the girls and see what they want and what they liked in the past that the previous coaches have done. It's their program. They are who is going to remember this the rest of their lives. I want to make this an enjoyable experience for all of them." In addition to a new spouse and a new job, Appel will also need a new wardrobe. After a lifetime in the Westlake school district as a student and coach and four years at Michigan State, he's going to be trading in green and white for maroon and gold. "It's going to be weird to get the maroon and gold colors out but I am super excited because this is great opportunity I am super blessed and lucky to have," Appel said. "I have a very large wardrobe of green and white. I can save the green and white for the Saturday's during the fall for the Michigan State football games, but the Saturdays in the winter will be reserved for maroon and gold." Contact Todd Shapiro at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.