Glendale High boys’ basketball tabs Belou as next coach

Ib Belou is aware of the history of the Glendale High boys’ basketball program and cognizant of the stability among the program’s coaching ranks.

From 1977 through 2015, the Nitros featured just three head coaches in Steve Keith, Bob Davidson and Steve Snodgress. A rare coaching vacancy opened up after Snodgress announced late in the season that he would be retiring following 19 seasons.

Glendale didn’t have to look too far to name a replacement for Snodgress, as Belou was named the program’s new head coach Friday.

“There’s a great history with the program, starting with the three CIF championships,” said Belou, a 2002 Crescenta Valley High graduate who had spent the past five seasons as an assistant under Snodgress. “The stability with the coaches at Glendale is something I’d like to continue.

“I’ve learned a lot as an assistant for many years at different levels. I’ve really learned a lot from coach Snodgress and I’m very happy to be the next coach and look to further make the program stronger. When you work alongside [head] coaches, they become your mentors.”

Belou, who played forward at Crescenta Valley for two varsity seasons, will begin his second head-coaching job. He had been coach for the Mark Keppel High girls’ basketball team from 2008-10. In addition to working as an assistant at Glendale, Belou, 31, previously served as an assistant for the Bellarmine-Jefferson girls’ team and the Moorpark College women’s squad.

Belou takes over a Glendale squad that finished 16-12, 11-3 in the Pacific League for second place. The Nitros then advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs before falling to fourth-seeded Edison.

Glendale, which has won CIF titles in 1959, 1981, 1985, will look dramatically different next season in its search for its first league championship since 1994. The Nitros had 10 seniors this season.

“It’s going to mostly be a new team,” said Belou, a teacher at Roosevelt Middle School. “I’m already familiar with a lot of the returners.

“I’m looking to get the most out of them. It’s also about holding them accountable for their actions.”

Snodgress, who won 210 games at Glendale, said Belou proved to be an ideal candidate to take over.

“His contributions as an assistant became larger and larger in the five years he’s been here,” Snodgress said. “He and I have worked so closely together.

“To me, it feels like he’s picking up right where we left off and he’ll do a great job. He’s always got a point of view concerning the game and he’s got a great mind for basketball overall. I’m pleased to see him get an opportunity like this and he will do the right things in putting his stamp on the team.”

Glendale co-athletic director Pat Lancaster concurred.

“We’ve heard nothing, but positive things about him and we think he’s the real deal,” Lancaster said. “We’ve seen his impact on the team each of the last few seasons and Steve gave him a lot of responsibilities.

“We’ve watched him grow as a coach and we see him as a long-term solution to the program.”