Orange Beach City Schools announced Thursday the hiring of Chris Laatsch as head boys’ basketball coach ahead of the Makos’ fifth varsity season.

Laatsch comes most recently from a six-year stint at Spain Park where the Jaguars collected three straight area championships and final four trips from 2021-23. After last season’s record of 17-14, Laatsch owns 496 career wins.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Laatsch to our team. He brings a wealth of experience and unmatched knowledge to the position,” said Superintendent Randy Wilkes. “His character and integrity are a good fit for the vision of our program. Orange Beach City Schools is committed to excellence in all areas, and we believe Coach Laatsch will be instrumental in guiding our basketball program to new heights.”

With 30 years of experience as a coach, Laatsch takes over a Mako team that will play its third season on the Class 4A stage. Following the recent biennial reclassification, Orange Beach is set to compete in Area 1 against ACCEL Academy, Satsuma and St. Michael Catholic.

Brad Goldman head coached the Makos for the previous three years and made the postseason the first two. Orange Beach claimed the Class 2A Area 1 championship in its first season and notched the first playoff victory in Mako program history.

Laatsch started his head coaching career with 16 years at Briarwood Christian School where all but two seasons were played in Class 5A before starting the program at Helena High School. After four years there with two each in Class 5A and Class 6A, he took over at Spain Park in the AHSAA’s largest classification. Laatsch’s resume also includes four years spent at UMS-Wright as an assistant.

Orange Beach is currently under construction on a $46 million athletic complex that is set to feature a 1,200-seat competition gymnasium.