(Elkhart) — The off-season game of musical chairs for high school basketball coaches continues.

Ryan Varga, who led South Bend Washington to a sectional championship in 2023, is leaving the West Side of South Bend for the West Side of Elkhart County, taking over as the new basketball coach at Jimtown, pending board approval.

Varga succeeds Tyler Leighton, who took the Concord job last month.

“First and foremost, it was a family decision,” says Varga. ” My kids are getting older and you think where you want them to be. I’ve always admired the community they have at Jimtown, the families they have there and the way they take care of one another.  Ultimately, the feeder system they have is very appealing, with the opportunity to work with kids all the way down to kindergarten and get them excited about being a Jimmie.”

Varga posted a record of 108-94 in his eight seasons at the helm of the Panthers. The sectional title in 2023 was the school’s first in boys basketball in 13 years.   His departure leaves Washington looking to fill both its girls and boys basketball jobs, as Steve Reynolds resigned in March to become a college assistant at Texas-Arlington.

Varga inherits a Jimtown team that went to the 2A Semistate last year, but graduates four starters.  The Jimmies have some young talent in reserves on the varsity level, and Varga hopes to retain it, which is not a given with any team with the new IHSAA transfer rules.

“I won’t know exactly what style we’ll play until I get the boys in the gym,” admits Varga. “We’ll play the game the right way, as we always have.”