A pioneering spirit has become the new face of Lemont boys basketball.

With a track record for program development, both on the court and in the classroom, Rick Runaas takes over as the Indians' head varsity boys basketball coach for the 2009-10 season. The Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education approved the hiring in its meeting Monday.

Runaas served as the head boys basketball coach for four years (1998-2002) at Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City, during which time he developed the school’s Freshman Academy.

Meanwhile, the social studies teacher worked to implement T.F. North’s first Advanced Placement U.S. History course and served on a district-level curriculum development committee during his tenure.

Runaas replaces six-year head coach Rob Wostratzky, who was not retained as a coach after the 2008-09 season but remains on staff as a social studies teacher. The Indians finished 2-24 this winter after a 13-15 mark in 2007-08.

Runaas boasts a 63-43 record (.594) in his four years. After a pair of sub-.500 campaigns in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, he guided the Meteors to a significant turnaround the next two years, as they posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in school history.

In 2000-01, T.F. North collected a 21-6 record, and Runaas was named with SICA Central Coach of the Year. The next season, Runaas earned Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District 8 Coach of the Year honors after leading T.F. North to a 23-5 record and the school’s first regional title since 1946.

Runaas has served as athletic director at T.F. South High School in Lansing since 2006. Runaas also served as the dean of students and assistant athletic director at Elmwood Park High School for three years (2003-06), and worked in the administration at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Ga., during the 2002-03 school year.