PICKENS — The athletics department of Pickens High School has announced the new head of the boy’s basketball program is Easley native Austin Reid.

Reid comes to the Blue Flame program with a bevy of experience to draw on.

A 2013 graduate of Clemson University, Reid spent four years working under current Tigers’ head coach Brad Brownell before heading to the high school ranks in the upstate. For the past three years Reid has served as the assistant boys’ coach at Berea High School under head coach Jeff Maness.

“Austin is a great young coach with a tremendous upside. His passion for basketball contributed to the success of Berea High School’s program for the last three years,” Maness said. “His work ethic is unparalleled, and he will do a great job at Pickens High School.”

Reid is also the head coach for the Upward Stars Southeast AAU Organization.

Steve Corn, former PHS athletic director and head of the basketball program, was also supportive of the hire.

“Coach Reid’s desire is to be a head coach. In his career, he has done everything needed to prepare himself for this responsibility: working camps, serving as manager under Coach Brownell, coaching summer leagues, and being a gym rat,” Corn said. “He will do an outstanding job and will work well with the entire Athletic Department at PHS to make basketball and other athletics as successful as possible.”

Current AD Stan Butler was also excited about the announcement and the prospects for Blue Flame basketball.

“We are very excited about the hiring of Austin Reid as our men’s basketball coach. Coach Reid brings a wealth of knowledge to our program from his combined experiences at the collegiate and high school levels,” Butler said. “I feel that Coach Reid will be a perfect fit at PHS because of his passion for basketball and his stellar work ethic.”

Reid will begin his duties immediately for the 2016-2017 season.

By D. C. Moody

dmoody@civitasmedia.com

Reach D. C. Moody at 864-855-0355.