As the son of former Washington High School girls' basketball coach Bill Fleissner, it's fair to say Brent Fleissner views coaching basketball as being in his blood.

"I grew up a gym rat," Fleissner said. "I've just always been around basketball."

Fleissner made sure he was around the sport the past few years while he served as athletic director at Fort Cherry High School. This coming season, he will immerse himself in it even more.

Fleissner, 38, was hired as the Rangers' boys' basketball coach in late June. He replaces Brad Midgley, who left to take the job at Franklin Regional.

"I've always been involved in scholastic basketball. It's one of my true passions, one of the reasons I got into the field of education," said Fleissner, a 1989 Washington High School and 1994 California University of Pennsylvania graduate.

"It's very exciting and I'm looking forward to the challenge of being competitive and working with some bright young guys."

In addition to picking up a few things about the game from his father, who coached the Wash High girls' and boys' teams at various times, Fleissner played in high school under legendary Prexies coach Ron Faust, who retired after the past season.

He became involved with the Cal ifornia program during his time as a student there, and has stayed in the game in various capacities since, including as an official, as a coach in Charlotte and working under former Wheeling Jesuit women's coach Don Hustead, McGuffey's Ed Goetz and Rich Sonson at Canon-McMillan.

"I feel I'm ready," Fleissner said. "I know I still have a lot of learning to do. Every day you learn something new. I just wanted to get back in it.

"I was fortunate enough to be in a situation with what happened with Brad leaving, we were on good terms, and he gave me the heads-up it was going to happen, so I took over as interim coach for the summer leagues.

"It's seemed to go very well and it seemed to be a smooth transition. As AD the last couple years, I've been out there at games and practices, not only basketball but for most of our varsity sports. I feel I'm the right person for the job, and I'm honored the school board agreed to give me a shot."

Fleissner officially holds down the roles of American government teacher, athletic director and boys' basketball coach at Fort Cherry.

"It's a pretty full plate," he said. "But it's a good place, a lot of good people, a lot of hard-nosed kids. They've done everything I've asked of them so far."

As athletic director and a teacher at such a small school, Fleissner had a strong familiarity with the players, even before coaching them this summer in the Bronson House Summer League.

He also has an idea about what the other teams in Section 3-AA, a section that includes reigning WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up North Catholic and WPIAL semifinalist South Fayette.

The Rangers return a relatively inexperienced team from the one that went 14-8 and lost in the preliminary round of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs. Guards Chris White and Darren Hillberry are the only returning seniors, and didn't start last season.

Junior-to-be 6-foot-5 Nate Bellhy is the team's top player, and Fleissner said junior Rich Williamson, sophomore Kevin Cloonan and freshman Tyreke Brown figure to step into prominent roles.

"It's been a smooth transition," said Bellhy, who is playing for John Miller's Pittsburgh Renegades AAU team this summer. "We lost some players, but we have a lot of young guys coming up who are willing to work hard."

Fleissner plans on Fort Cherry utilizing an up-tempo philosophy.

"I believe in an up-tempo game, but I believe the defense causes it," he said. "We'll use a variety of defenses, some traps, just to try to keep the other team off-balance, keep them uncomfortable. A pressure style of defense to stay up-tempo, a lot of fast breaks, more of an attack mode than a passive game."

Fleissner said Fort Cherry wants to establish itself as a perennially contending team.

"We're looking to have competitive teams year-in and year-out," Fleissner said. "Be a threat to make the postseason and hopefully advance through the WPIAL playoffs and eventually to the WPAL championship. That would be one of our goals."