By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
After nine straight sub-.500 seasons, the Effingham County girls’ basketball program will be looking to rebuild and Coach Kevin Furtado recently has been hired to do some serious heavy lifting.
Furtado, who takes over for Coach Danetia Jefferson-Howard, has a resume of tackling similar projects. The Rebels won only two games last season.
Furtado says he’s undaunted with the record and is ready to roll up his sleeves. He has accumulated a 501-305 record in a coaching career that started in 1990.
He said the leadership of school district, Superintendent Dr. Yancy Ford and ECHS athletic director Jake Darling, attracted him to the job.
“I think this community wants to get girls basketball going again and if you’re committed, I’m all in,” said Furtado, who has already had a virtual meeting with returning Rebel players.
And he doesn’t shy away from the competition with South Effingham, a neighborhood rival that won 11 straight games against the Rebels before February’s upset.
“Our goal is to be the dominant Effingham school,” he said.
At his most recent stop, Furtado turned Commerce High School girls from a six-win team to a 16-win team in his first coaching season.
Furtado went 18-11 with Walnut Grove’s program that didn’t have a winning season in 11 previous years.
He started Lake Oconee Academy’s program in 2016 and progressed from three wins to 11 to 17 to 22 to 26-1 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the Class A state tournament in just five years.
Overall, he’s been at nine schools in Georgia and each saw positive makeovers. He’s taken teams to three Final Four appearances, eight Elite Eights and won four region championships.
He’s been an innovator, pitching his “Row the Boat” philosophy. It’s a three-part conviction of 1. competing relentlessly; 2. showing mental and physical toughness and 3. being encouraging to teammates.
“We want kids to get on the boat and row the boat in the same direction,” Furtado said.
He made videos to display his “Run and Stun” press and “Buzz Defense” – a half-court trapping 2-3 alignment designed to create offense from defense.
Furtado comes to Springfield with a plan. He’ll be the Rebels’ seventh coach in 10 years.
He said getting girls involved with the program will be his first step. He wants to build a family atmosphere.
He has a youth camp already set for May 27-30.
“Girls ultimately support each other and they can be part of the new legacy,” Furtado said. “This program has been a winner before. We just have to reconnect.”
Furtado, a San Jose, California native, moved to Georgia as a youth when his father transferred. Furtado earned a bachelor of science degree in health and physical education from the University of Georgia in 1989.
He’ll teach physical education at Springfield Elementary School.
