Helmintoller To Guide RC Boys Basketball Team
Landing his first varsity head coaching job, Shawn Helmintoller has high hopes for the Rockbridge County High School boys basketball team.
Helmintoller, 26, was hired as the Wildcats’ new basketball coach, the RC athletic department announced on Monday of last week. He replaces Rob Winfield, who coached the Wildcats for the last five years before stepping down.
The new coach brings six years of coaching experience, most recently with the Alleghany High School junior varsity boys basketball team. In three years as head JV coach at Alleghany, Helmintoller’s record was 55-12. He’s also coached travel basketball.
Helmintoller briefly played high school basketball at RC, as a point guard under then-head coach Darrell Plogger, transferring from Alleghany as a junior and then back to Alleghany, where he graduated from in 2018. During his teenage years, he was known as Shawn Spinner. At Alleghany, Helmintoller played for Nolan Caldwell, and he would serve as Caldwell’s varsity assistant coach in the 2022-23 season, before Alleghany merged with Covington High School and Helmintoller became the head JV coach. After high school, Helmintoller went to Mountain Gateway Community College.
Under Winfield, the Wildcats went 4-19 overall this past winter and 2-14 in their first year in the Shenandoah District.
The head coaching job at RC was the first one Helmintoller applied for. He decided to go for it because he knew he would be on the waiting line for a head coaching job at Alleghany, and he was familiar with the Wildcats, a district opponent. “Rockbridge was always on the list of the schools circled,” he said.
“I’m thrilled,” Helmintoller said in reaction to getting the job. “Obviously, to lead a varsity program, that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Being able to get the opportunity is a true blessing.
“I know how much hard work is ahead, and I’m prepared for it,” added Helmintoller. “I can’t promise wins. If we work hard, I’m confident that wins will follow.”
Helmintoller’s coaching philosophy centers on accountability, a relentless work ethic and unconditional support.
Plogger, who coached the RC boys for 10 years and coached the RC girls for the last three years before stepping down, said he watched some of Helmintoller’s Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) travel teams. Plogger said Helmintoller “will do a good job. He’s a good young guy.”
Helmintoller is the son of Jason and Deanne Helmintoller. He works in finance at ALCOVA Mortgage with his father.
Outside of work and coaching, Helmintoller enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Anna Hayes, who is a nursing student.
On his coaching staff, Helmintoller said Scott Rogers will return to coach the JV team, and he’s figuring out the rest of his assistant coaches. He looked forward to meeting with players at an open gym this Monday.
The Wildcats graduated four players from last year’s team – Xavier Flowers, Jaxon Johnson, Price Lunsford and Avery McDaniel – but they return alldistrict guard Bradi Ziegler, who led the Wildcats in scoring last season, averaging 17 points per game and shooting 33 percent from three-point range. Both Ziegler and the Wildcats’ other key scorers, guards Brayden Camden and Christian Moore, are rising seniors.
A key goal for Helmintoller is for the Wildcats to “to be the hardest-playing team in the district. That’s something I know that we can control, and if we do the right things these next four months, that is an attainable goal. We’re gonna get after it. We’re gonna compete.”
In addition to seeing the Wildcats play when Alleghany faced them last year, Helmintoller watched a lot of games online after applying for the coaching job, so he’s familiar with the returning players and has an idea of the team’s strengths. “The 3-point shot will be a big part of our offense,” he said. “We’re gonna play fast … The newer crowd likes to see exciting things on offense.
Defensively, Helmintoller favors man-to-man defense, but he plans for the Wildcats to mix up some zone defense.
Looking forward to working with Helmintoller, the RC athletic department released a statement saying, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Coach Helmintoller into this new leadership role. The energy, passion, and cultural foundation he brings to our school and our young men is exactly what we need to take this program to the next level. We are excited to see his vision come to life on and off the court.”
