Brandon Gall is living his dream while making history as Chugiak High’s new boys basketball coach

Five years ago, Brandon Gall was just starting his senior season of basketball at Service High as a player in the Cook Inlet Conference. Gall, who turned 22 last month, became what is believed to be the youngest head coach of a boys varsity program in conference history in August when he was hired by Chugiak High.

Gall always had a passion for the game of basketball, and his interest in coaching blossomed at a very young age as well.

“I’ve always wanted to run a program and really see the different angles of basketball as a player, spectator, and (I) even spent some time as an official and now as a coach,” he said.

Knowing that teaching and coaching were his true calling, Gall moved quickly in his postsecondary education.

He graduated from Service in 2020, earned his associate degree in 2022, and will finish his bachelor’s degree in health science and physical education in February.

“I’ve stepped into this role and I want to do great things,” he said. “I trust my knowledge of the game. The players so far have bought into what myself and my coaching staff have shared, and it’s just been great so far.”

At just 22, Gall is in a position that may be unparalleled in the history of the 49th state.

Bettye Davis East boys coach Chuck Martin has competed in or against the CIC for decades and can’t recall a rival program with someone so young at the helm.

“Maybe 24 or so, but none that young come to mind,” he said.

Alaska sports historian Don Winchester checked his records dating back to the 1960s before the CIC existed, when Anchorage schools were part of the Railbelt Conference, and he couldn’t find any as young as Gall either. However, Winchester didn’t rule out the possibility of an interim coach taking over during a season.

That designation is not something Gall dwells on, but he admits that it does cross his mind from time to time.

“Probably all the coaches right now, I either played for or played against,” he said. “I played for coach Jocquis Sconiers, who is at Service, and against coach Chuck Martin, who is at East.”

In part due to his youth, he’s developed a quick rapport with players and has been able to connect with them.

“We’ve gotten to know him personally much quicker than any of my past coaches just because of the relatability of all of it,” Mustangs junior forward co-captain Tyler Cage said. “It’s made it easier to have a new coach this year.”

Players say Gall is approachable and his coaching style has helped establish a comfort level.

“We all feel comfortable saying what we want to say and we feel safe coming to him about our stuff,” senior guard and co-captain Samaj Walker said. “It’s not run like a dictatorship but more like a leadership.”

Gall hopes to install a level of stability and a foundation that has helped top programs achieve and maintain success.

“They’ve had coaches that have been around and built that up from the start,” Gall said of the state’s top programs. “We’ve started taking steps with the younger kids, our seventh and eighth graders, so we can build those relations early on, and they’re seeing our expectations.”

The small age gap between players and coach was a concern that Gall expressed to the administration at Chugiak before accepting the position. He was reassured that “they didn’t feel like they had an issue with it.”

“They knew this group of kids was respectful and that they were ready to buy into something special,” he said. “They had a rough season last year, and they’re just ready to turn it around.”

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Working toward his dream jobs

Gall has been involved in the game in a variety of ways.

He started officiating when he was 15, and a year later, he earned his high school certification and was refereeing a lot of middle school games with the occasional summer league game mixed in.

By the time he was a senior and in a COVID-19 gap year before going off to college, he officiated high school games. The biggest highlight was a regional tournament in Glennallen.

“It was pretty insightful to see the game through a new lens,” Gall said.

He had his senior season with the Cougars cut short by the pandemic but was still able to continue his playing career at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington.

Unfortunately, his first college season was canceled during the pandemic, so he stayed home and volunteered as a program assistant for the freshman and junior varsity basketball teams at his alma mater.

After two years of playing junior college ball, he came to a stark realization.

“Playing basketball was fun, but I wasn’t pushing myself to be better,” Gall said. “Once I felt that feeling, I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got this experience and it’s really just for fun now.’ It was time to step away from being a player and explore a new avenue.”

His mindset was also to return to where his basketball journey began and to start the next chapter by launching his coaching career.

“I always wanted to return to the state, and coaching is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Gall said. “I had the opportunity to start my career (teaching physical education) and initially started as the C-team coach at Service when I returned.”

He officially moved back to Anchorage in April after receiving his teaching certificate. He started substitute teaching at Mountain View Elementary School, where he is now working full time as a physical education teacher.

“It’s just a new light and you get to impact kids in a different way,” Gall said. “Your classroom is not like a normal classroom. In elementary school, it’s a lot of structured games and skill-based. Just engaging with those kids in a different light at school.”

A former coach told Gall about the Chugiak job while he was coaching the Service C-team at the UAA showcase.

“At that point, I spent a lot of time doing that self-reflection,” Gall said. “I talked to some mentors. I talked to my past college coach about it, knowing that it was an opportunity in front of me. High school coaching jobs don’t come open that often, and knowing how strong and supportive the administration is at Chugiak are some of the things that fueled me to apply for the job.”

Each year, one of Gall’s goals is to have a motto that “sets the tone” for the entire season. This year, it’s “stronger together.”

“It’s printed on the varsity shooting shirts,” he said. “When I first took over this program, there was a lot of talk about how individualized the basketball picture was because there were a lot of players playing for themselves and their own stats instead of worrying about that team dynamic.”

Their focus has been on positive and constructive language, creating a positive atmosphere, and building confidence in one another’s ability to make plays and sink shots when called upon.

“My core beliefs are that you are stronger together and that you need to be there for each other,” Gall said.