By Don Ketchum

Josiah McDaniel is a firm believer that when something bad happens, something good is just around the corner, that there is a reason for everything.

Such was the case when Phoenix Horizon relieved him of his duties as girls basketball coach at Phoenix Horizon in March. He didn’t quite understand the decision after leading the team to the state semifinals for the first time, and still doesn’t understand why he wasn’t given a clear reason for his dismissal.

But what’s done is done and he already has moved on. He was moving on shortly after his request to get his job back was turned down.

He got a call saying that the girls basketball job at Anthem Boulder Creek had opened up and that he should check it out if interested.

It wasn’t long after that when he had a new job, coaching the Lady Jaguars for Boulder Creek athletic director Matt Kuffel.

McDaniel also is looking for a teaching job (business) at Boulder Creek, in the Deer Valley District, but there have been no openings. So he will continue to teach instead in the Paradise Valley District at Phoenix North Canyon (Horizon also is in that district).

“It (new coaching job) is a match made in heaven,’’ McDaniel said. “The athletic director (Kuffel) represents the character that you want, I believe, that will do nothing but help the athletes.’’

McDaniel also will be able to work again with Boulder Creek boys coach Randy Walker. The two worked together at Horizon when Walker was the boys basketball coach and McDaniel worked as the freshman girls’ coach at the school. Walker left Horizon in the mid-2000’s to pursue a coaching job at the college level before returning to the Valley and landing at Boulder Creek.

“Working with coach Walker again made it a slam dunk for me,’’ McDaniel said.

Ironically, Walker’s former assistant coach, Kipp Clark, was hired at Horizon recently to become the boys’ coach after Paul Long was let go shortly before McDaniel.

McDaniel already has met with the Boulder Creek parents and players, and he and Walker will work at a few summer camps.

McDaniel will lead the Lady Jaguars through a rigorous month of June, with the team’s participation in a summer league at Phoenix Thunderbird and a couple of tournaments. That will be approximately 20 games.

“It’s full speed ahead,’’ he said.

The team will have a young core group that had four freshmen and a couple of sophomores on the varsity last season.

“There is a lot of talent and athleticism,’’ he said. “I want to devise a system that fits their strengths. We are very optimistic about what we are capable of doing.’’