Shep's back, as an assistant

Harold Shepherd is back in Iowa and back on the bench.He's a lieutenant, not a captain. He's fine with that, at least for now.“I kind of enjoy the role,” said Shepherd, who is serving as an assistant girls' basketball coach under Tony Pappas at Waterloo West.“There's not as much pressure, but I love teaching the game, I like being in the gym for a few hours each day, and I like the kids.”Shepherd, 67, was a head coach for 43 years, most of them at Vinton and Vinton-Shellsburg, where he won state titles in 1984 (six-player) and 1995 (Class 3A). He has a career record of 722-275 and ranks fifth all-time in wins among girls' basketball coaches in Iowa.Shepherd's last prep position was at Jesup, before leaving in 2007 to become an assistant at William Jewell College in Missouri. Family - most notably, his wife Kay - beckoned him home to Vinton full-time.“A seven-month commitment away from home was too much,” he said.Pappas approached Shepherd in April.“He's a great all-around coach,” Pappas said. “He has a lot of experience in game situations. Rebounding is one of his strengths. The players like and respect him.”Between Pappas (33 years), Shepherd (43) and Gary Sinwell (22 years at Mason City), West has nearly a century of head-coaching experienceShepherd said he would like to be a head coach again, if the right opportunity presents itself.“If it's a job I want, and they want me, I'd consider it,” he said.