Northeast Lauderdale was looking for a girls basketball coach whose vision matched that of the school’s.

They found one in Michael Bolar.

The school’s official Twitter handle announced Bolar as its new girls basketball coach Monday. He comes to Northeast Lauderdale after having worked at Newton, where he coached softball and junior high boys basketball.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Bolar said. “I’m glad I get to stay in the Lauderdale County School District, because I’m content with how my kids are getting educated. My daughter is a basketball player and also runs track, so there might be an opportunity for me to actually coach my daughter. It’s a great chance to work with the kids and make sure I have a hand in their future, both with academics and athletics.”

Bolar replaces Lewis Lightsey, who will now only coach boys basketball after spending the last several years splitting time between the boys and girls.

“When I originally started (coaching both) I was only going to do it for a short time, but then we had a really great run with these young ladies,” Lightsey said. “I had to have knee surgery at the end of the season, and my son’s about to come up and start playing, so I want to spend all my time with the boys, and the young ladies will need someone who can give them their attention full time.”

After an interview that lasted more than two hours, Bolar said he felt his plans for the Lady Trojans lined up with what the Northeast Lauderdale administration was looking for in a coach.

“They were pretty thorough with their questions, especially for my vision with the team,” Bolar said. “I wanted to make sure it matched the school’s vision.”

Specifically, Bolar said he wants mental toughness to be the Lady Trojans’ defining characteristic.

“I notice sometimes when they get down — and I’ve seen it in most sports — they kind of lose al little energy,” Bolar said. “My vision is for them to have that killer instinct and to be aggressive from beginning to end and always think and be on top of things on and off the court.”

Lightsey said at least 25 people applied for the position, and he’s pleased Bolar will be the one taking over the Lady Trojans’ program.

“What stuck out about Coach Bolar was his maturity and experience dealing with young people, and also his knowledge of the game,” Lightsey said. “I think the girls are excited about it, and I also think it will be good having a fresh face and a coach who’s with them all the time instead of splitting time with the boys.”

Bolar said his No. 1 goal as a coach is to develop players who go on to be lifelong learners and contributors to their communities. He also preaches hustle, especially on the defensive end.

“I kind of harp on defense,” Bolar said. “The saying goes, ‘Offense wins games, defense wins championships.’ I’m big on hustle. We want to stop people from scoring and wear them down, and we’ll beat them on the offensive end also.”