Loren Tillman knows firsthand how much sports can change someone’s life for the better.

Tillman, who graduated from White Swan High School in 1999, landed the Sammamish Totems boys basketball head coaching job in early May. Tillman, 38, said he went through the interview process in late April.

“I have always liked the school and the program. I like the way they play. The team is always hard nosed and plays a run-and-gun style. It is just a gritty culture and a gritty atmosphere. These kids put in the time and they put in the work. That is how I like to coach,” Tillman said.

Tillman said he coached the Totems girls basketball program eight years ago and was an assistant for the Totems boys squad just two years ago.

“I have been around Sammamish for quite some time. I’m a very energetic and passionate coach. I would say I’m definitely into the X’s and O’s, but there is just far more to a basketball program than that. Basketball had a major effect on me when I was young. I had some hard times when I was in high school basketball. My coaches and my teammates helped me get through that. I always wanted to relay that to the next generation,” Tillman explained. “That has been my passion. I always knew I wanted to coach because of those things. I wanted to stay around the game. I want to help my players develop life long skills of loyalty, hard work and teamwork.”