TRAVERSE CITY -- After accepting an offer Wednesday night to become coach of the Bay Reps, Scott Gardiner placed a call to his son Derek, who plays for the rival Traverse City Central Trojans.
"I had asked him (previously) if he would be OK with it," Scott Gardiner said. "I wanted to make sure it wouldn't bother him. All he said was it would be a little weird seeing me behind the other team's bench.
"We laughed about it (Wednesday night). When we do play against each other we're going to have some fun with it."
Gardiner replaces Rex Luxton, who had coached the Reps since their inception in 2000. Luxton was on the search committee.
"He's a good choice," Luxton said. "I'm happy about him taking over."
Gardiner coached high school hockey at Hartland for two seasons. His team won a regional the first year.
"We were one shot away from the Final Four," he said.
More recently, he was the coach and general manager of the Traverse City North Stars junior hockey team in 2006-07. He was let go after that season and replaced by Traverse City West coach Anthony Palumbo.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge," Gardiner said. "I want to pick up where Rex left off and continue to build this program."
The Reps are a co-op team comprised of players from Suttons Bay, Traverse City St. Francis, Elk Rapids, Kalkaska and Mancelona.
St. Francis athletic director Tom Hardy said four candidates were interviewed. He said he was impressed with Gardiner's coaching background and teaching style. He said Gardiner places a strong emphasis on character.
"That's precisely what we had with Rex and what we have built this program on," he said.
Luxton said Gardiner's previous coaching experience was "certainly a plus" in the search.
"He had the most experience with kids at that age level," Luxton said. "He's also a level-headed guy. He's going to be the kind of person you would want representing the schools."
Gardiner, 44, did not coach last season. That allowed him to see his son play for the Trojans. But he admitted he's ready to be involved again.
"I really missed it," he said. "The more I thought about this (job), the more I wanted it. When the offer was made, I didn't hesitate."
Gardiner, who runs a concrete business downstate, said he had other junior coaching opportunities in the last year but did not want to leave the area.
"We entertained leaving, but at the end of the day we loved the area and we didn't want to go," he said of his family. "The kids didn't want to move. I didn't want to move. This works out perfectly."
Gardiner, who spends four days a week in Brighton during the construction season, said he'll start assembling a staff as soon as possible. Practice starts Oct. 27.
"He's ready to hit the ground running," Hardy said.
Gardiner is one of several new prep hockey coaches in the area this season. He joins Charlie O'Hearn with the new Northwest Warriors co-op team and Pete Wilkinson at Gaylord.
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