The Flathead Braves did not have to look far for their next boys basketball coach.

Ross Gustafson, an assistant coach for the last three seasons and a math teacher at the high school, has been recommended to the school board to take over the job vacated by longtime coach Fred Febach last month.

“Great things are happening here at Flathead and I feel lucky that I get to be a part of that,” Gustafson said. “Being here the last three years I’ve already built relationships with the current players and I really love those guys. I’m excited to get to work with them as a head coach.”

Gustafson was chosen over fellow finalists Jeff Epperly and Skip Schroeder by a panel of five interviewers connected to the program.

Under a new regime, Flathead fans should expect a quick pace and constant pressure from an athletic Braves team this winter.

“We’re so fast and I think defense is going to be a key for us,” Gustafson said. “We’re going to play great pressure man-to-man and zone defense, we’re going to press a lot and we’ve got guys who can shoot the ball, so we’re going to bomb it from three.”

A native of Cut Bank, Gustafson played basketball at Carroll College where he helped the Fighting Saints reach the 2005 NAIA Final Four.

Gustafson graduated with distinction from Carroll in 2006, earning a degree in civil engineering. He worked as an engineer for five years before making the switch to teaching in 2010.

“It took me a little while to find out where I wanted to be,” Gustafson said of his career change. “I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out I wasn’t suited for a desk job.”

Before coming to Flathead, Gustafson was the junior varsity coach at Missoula Hellgate, working alongside his former Carroll teammate — and Knights head coach — Jeff Hays.

In a press release announcing the selection, Activities Director Bryce Wilson called Gustafson “passionate about kids, boys basketball and … a strong desire to lead the Flathead Braves basketball program with positive energy.”

Flathead was just 4-17 last season in the last of Febach’s 12 years as head coach.

Despite last year’s dismal record, Gustafson is optimistic about this year’s Braves.

“We’re going to surprise some people,” he said. “I think we have great players that have made a lot of strides since the end of last season. Some guys really grew up and figured things out.”

Gustafson also currently serves the freshman football coach for the Braves and expects to continue in that position.

The first official day of basketball practice for the 2015-16 season is Nov. 19.