Valdosta State assistant head men’s basketball coach Nick Gast has accepted the head boys’ basketball coaching position at Parkview High School in Gwinnett County.

 The former Blazer that went on to become a coach at his alma mater spent four seasons as the assistant coach under current head coach Mike Helfer.

With Gast in the program for 10 years — four as a player, two as a graduate assistant and two as assistant head coach — the Blazers went 186-100 and made an appearance in the 2010 Division II Elite 8, posting the school’s best record (27-5) that season.

 Along with serving as the assistant head coach, Gast played an integral part in the Blazers’ recruiting, helping assemble the Elite 8 team in 2009-10.

As a player, Gast was dominant, earning All-Gulf South Conference honors twice.

He is also just one of 19 Blazers to score more than 1,000 career points, having finished his four-year career with 1,094 points.

 Parkview won’t be Gast’s first head coaching experience on the high school level. After his two years as a graduate assistant were complete at Valdosta State, Gast spent one season as the head boys’ basketball coach at Clinch County High School in Homerville, finishing with a 16-10 record and third in region play.

He Clinch County following one season, making the jump to coach at Division I Southeastern Louisiana University before returning to Valdosta State four seasons ago.

At Parkview, Gast will inherit a Panthers team that was just 3-23 last year and 1-12 in Region 8-AAAAAA, a hot-bed region located in southern Gwinnnett County, which is known for producing some of the nation’s top college basketball recruits each year.

 Gast is married to former Valdosta State Lady Blazer Traci Newton, who was an All-GSC performer during her time at Valdosta State. The couple welcomed twins to the world in November.