Land O’ Lakes hired Robert Godsey as its girls basketball coach and Yarixa Cruz as an assistant volleyball coach.

Godsey has served as an assistant basketball coach at Indiana University-South Bend as well as Baker University in Baldwin, Kan., Columbia University in Missouri, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Godsey, who also coached at two high schools - Platte County High and O’Neil High – both in Nebraska, takes over a Gators team that was a Class 5A-District 7 runner up and went 13-14 last season.

He replace Laurie Pacholke, who took over the vacated girls basketball position at Freedom in April.

More interesting is the fact Godsey played with the Washington Generals, the typical foe of the Harlem Globetrotters. Prior to his time with the Generals, Godsey played at the College of New Jersey.

Cruz, who is a graduate of Lakeland College in Sheboygen, Wisconsin, where she played setter and libero, graduated from high school in Hernando County.

Godsey and Cruz have only been hired as coaches and not teachers.