COLUMBUS, Neb. -- The Columbus High School boys basketball team has its new leader.

Columbus Athletics and Activities Director Tim Kwapnioski announced Wednesday afternoon that Nathan Sliva has been named as the head coach of the Discoverers' boys basketball program.

Sliva takes over for Jordan Hitchcock, who has resigned as a teacher and coach after three years to pursue other basketball business opportunities, according to Kwapnioski.

Sliva started his coaching career at the Lincoln North Star in 2018. In 2019 Sliva was hired as a teacher and coach at Columbus Public Schools. While with CPS, he coached football, basketball, and baseball for the Discoverers and taught at Emerson Elementary.

In 2020, Sliva took a job with Raymond Central and joined the basketball and football staff.

“We had a deep and quality candidate pool which included applicants from Nebraska, Wyoming, and Kansas along with high school and college coaches," Kwapnioski said. "In the end, Coach Sliva emerged as our next head coach is a testament to the philosophy of developing a program based on effort, humility, and joy.”

Sliva is a 2015 graduate of Columbus High School, where he will now be teaching.

“Over the years, Discoverer basketball has a deep history of success, and as a committee, we have selected a coach that we are exceptionally energized about and believe he can continue to move us in the right direction," Kwapnioski added.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to be the head coach of a program with a tradition of excellence," Sliva said. "Columbus is built on hard work, resilience, and achievement. I plan to continue these characteristics that have made Columbus Basketball successful. Building relationships within the community and school is a high priority for me. I am excited to unite the youth and high school together to make our basketball program successful. Right now I am working to ensure our program is given the best opportunity to be successful in the classroom, community, and basketball court."