Michael Scutero Assistant Basketball Coach Hometown: Orlando, FL

Mike Scutero is returning for his 4th season as Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator with the Wranglers Basketball program.  Mike has done a great job for the Wranglers’ on the recruiting trail, bringing 12 new players to Odessa this year, to go along with 6 returning sophomores from last years recruiting class.  

Mike joined the Wranglers’ staff three years ago after spending numerous years in the high school and AAU ranks in the state of Florida.  Mike began his coaching career as an assistant at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, FL.  He was one of the main reasons that Lake Howell reached the state playoffs 5 out of 7 seasons from 1996-2003. In three of those seasons (1999, 2002, and 2003) Mike was part of the State Coaching Staff of the Year. In 2003, the team set a school record with 29 wins, while reaching the State Final Four for the first time in school history.  After his stint at Lake Howell, Mike joined the coaching staff at Winter Springs High School in Winter Springs, FL for the 2003-2004 school year.  He was an integral part of the program that attained the school’s best record of 20-9 and its first 20-win season.    

While he was busy in the high school ranks, Mike decided to take on some summer coaching responsibility on the AAU circuit.  In the summer of 2001, Mike was the head coach of the inaugural Team Hoopnuts 17-Under squad, which was sponsored by the Florida recruiting service Hoopnuts.com.   In 2001 as well, Mike was the assistant coach for the Orlando Hoopers who finished as the Florida State AAU Champions for 19-Under.  In the summer of 2002, Mike was the head coach for the Orlando Eagles 15- Under team that also won the Florida State AAU Championship, as well as finishing 2nd in the prestigious Houston Kingwood Classic.  When the summer of 2003 came along, Mike was back with the Team Hoopnuts 17-Under squad, whose roster now includes 9 of its 10 players playing in the collegiate ranks.  In the summer of 2004, Mike got to assist with the highly touted Nike Team Florida AAU program.  This program which is comprised of the top players in the state of Florida, won the Florida State AAU Championship in 15-Under and 17-Under respectively.   

In just a few short years of coaching in the high school, AAU, and JUCO ranks, Coach Scutero has had the opportunity to recruit & coach over 25 players that have moved on to Division One schools including, Nick Calathes (2007 McDonalds All American, Florida), Joey Rodriguez(VCU), Chandler Parsons(Florida), Jon Roberson(Texas Tech), Quintin Thornton(LSU), Jeremiah Rivers(Georgetown), Keaton Grant(Purdue), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute(UCLA), Walter Hodge(Florida), Raymond Sykes(Clemson), Pat Calathes(St. Joes), and Ian Young(Auburn).  As well as two players who have moved on to the pro’s, Taurean Green(Florida) was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, and Brandon Marshall(Central Florida) was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Mike was born on January 29, 1978 in Long Island, NY.  He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Liberal Studies, and a minor in Athletic Coaching.  Mike and his wife Kimberly are expecting their first child in January 2008.