Lowell hires Nikola Pusara as boys basketball coach

Lowell did not just fill a vacancy. It hired a coach who has already spent time inside the league its biggest neighbors know best.

Nikola Pusara, an assistant at Northwest Crossroads Conference rivals Andrean and Hanover Central, is the next head coach of Lowell boys basketball. That matters immediately at Lowell, where the Red Devils are trying to turn a recent stretch of visibility into something more sustainable after a sectional run that ended with a statewide talking point and a 18-13 loss to Hanover Central in the championship game.

Pusara arrives with a built-in scouting edge. He knows the style, personnel and habits of two of Lowell’s most familiar opponents, and that background should help the Red Devils sharpen preparation right away against Hanover Central and Andrean. In a sectional bracket that also included Illiana Christian, Kankakee Valley and River Forest, knowing how rivals want to play is not a minor detail. It is the difference between guessing and being ready.

The job was opened after Joe Delgado stepped down in April 2026 following 12 seasons as Lowell’s head coach. A student publication reported Delgado finished 213-278 at Lowell and planned to continue coaching as an assistant at Indiana University Northwest. Lowell had posted the opening by mid-May, asking applicants for a résumé, a letter of interest outlining coaching philosophy and program vision, and three references by May 15. The posting also noted that teaching positions could be available, though full-time district employment was not required.

Lowell made clear what it wanted next. The program’s posting emphasized postseason success, a clear philosophy, year-round development, youth-program alignment and stronger ties to the community. That is the real job for Pusara, not just replacing a coach but setting a standard for how Lowell plays and how its feeder system connects to the varsity.

The Red Devils have already shown they can stay relevant. Lowell beat River Forest 45-32 in the 2026 sectional semifinal before falling to Hanover Central in one of the most discussed low-scoring games in Indiana this season, a combined 31 points in a state without a shot clock. Lowell also received a 2026 sectional sportsmanship award and a scholarship for Hejnowski, a reminder that the program’s profile still carries weight in Lake County.

Patti McCormack is listed as Lowell’s athletic director, and Katie Kimbrell, the incoming director of athletic programs, was the contact on the coaching posting. For Lowell, the next step is no longer about finding a replacement. It is about whether Pusara can turn local familiarity into a harder edge in Class 3A and make the Red Devils more than a team that gets noticed once the sectional starts.