Luke Babbitt, the former Galena High and Nevada Wolf Pack star who played eight seasons in the NBA, stepped down Monday as Bishop Manogue’s head coach after a successful four-year stint.
The 36-year-old Babbitt told Nevada Sports Net he informed the Miners players Monday afternoon after making the decision to resign to spend more time with his children as they grow older.
Babbitt accepted the Bishop Manogue position before the 2022-23 season and went 72-42 with the Miners, including a 39-17 league record. This season, Manogue went 26-3 and won the Northern 4A regional championship, a 59-47 victory. The Miners beat Legacy, 74-51, in the state semifinal before a hard-fought 56-54 loss to Clark in the Class 4A state championship game. Manogue ranked fifth in the state, per MaxPreps, this season. Babbitt followed one of his coaching mentors, Ballinger, as the Miners’ head coach.
Babbitt was a star player at nearby Galena High in south Reno, leading the Grizzlies to a state championship during his junior season. He was named a McDonald’s All-American after his senior season of high school, one of only three locals to earn the honor (Reno High’s David Padgett and Reed High’s Gabby Williams are the others).
A five-star high school recruit, Babbitt originally committed to Ohio State before signing with Nevada, where he starred for two seasons, earning WAC player of the year honors as a sophomore, before entering the NBA draft. The No. 18 pick in the 2010 draft, Babbitt played eight seasons in the NBA with four teams. For his career, Babbitt averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three. He earned sixth man of the year votes in 2012-13.
Babbitt was inducted into the Wolf Pack Hall of Fame in September 2021 and is considered the best men’s basketball player in Northern Nevada high school history.