Former Findlay Prep basketball coach Michael Peck talks about new role at Link Academy in Missouri

Michael Peck has experience at all levels of coaching basketball, from preps to college to pros.

He’s headed back to the high school ranks for the 2026-27 season, taking over Link Academy in Branson, one of the top teams in the country.

The school announced it hired Peck to a 3-year contract to guide the program’s National team that will be crisscrossinging the United States as they have in past years. Last year, Link Year finished No. 15 in the High School on SI national rankings.

The program’s success has led to plenty of NBA talent, but also saw a lot of former coaches be able to move on to the next level. Rodney Perry went to Kansas State and later Texas after being the head coach. Bill Armstrong went to Baylor and McNeese State.

Josh Mawhorr left for a job nearby at College of the Ozarks — who will play Baylor this upcoming season. Chris Myers, the most recent coach, is at Vanderbilt.

Adam Donyes founded Link Academy and the program won the 2023 Men’s Geico National Championship.

Peck most recently coached at the University of Detroit Mercy. He’s also had stints at the University of Texas-San Antonio, Saginaw Valley State, UNLV, Northwood University and Santa Clara University.

He’s been a coach in the NBA D-League with Idaho, guided the Las Vegas Prospects AAU team, assisted with the Portland Trailblazers Summer League Team and Findlay Prep.

The latter is where he spent five years as the head coach and had his team ranked in the top 10 all five years and was 157-8, and won three ESPN National Championships and a runner-up one other time. He coached No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, Avery Bradley and Tristan Thompson at the school.

Now, he’s guiding a program that had 5 former players taken in the NBA Draft this past June.

High School on SI had a chance to talk with Peck about his background and his future at Link Academy.

What made you want to get back into coaching high school basketball?

You know, it's kind of like a full circle moment. No. 1, obviously wanting to lead your own program again was important and a key factor in it. After being an assistant for several years, you just kind of have that itch to get back in that seat to run your own program and do the way you think, do it the way you see things fit and your style of play and your personality. So that was obviously at the forefront of it all, but you know also being at a high level was important. Getting back connected at a high level in terms of competition, the level of players, that was also something that was a big factor for me. In the past at Findlay, the success that we had and the terrific players we had made it super fun. The competitiveness- it makes coaching … I’m not going to say coaching is easy, don't get me wrong; I want to get this quoted on that, but great players can make you look like a really good coach. When you're dealing with that level of a player, you know they're just they're able to do a little bit more in terms of schematics and functionality, so that was also appealing to me.

So the job had to be the right fit for you to leave? Wouldn’t you just take a job at a high school just because it’s a head coaching job?

I've thought about that in the back of my mind. Hey, just go to a traditional high school; I don't have any problem with that, just as long as you're coaching it. But the one thing is I haven't been doing this for 30 years now. Being able to just be a coach and not have to be in a classroom or have any other assigned duties by the school, I knew that would be somewhat challenging for me. Just not being able to dedicate 100% of your time and your mind to your team and your program, and dividing your duties up, whether it be in a classroom or as a counselor or as an assistant AD, or something. I just didn't feel comfortable. I wasn't ready to commit to something of that nature.

You had a program in Findlay that was pretty good. Will that play a part at Link or have things changed so much in the last 10 to 15 years in prep ball?

Absolutely. The landscape has changed, as we all know. It continues to change every single day and every year. You know it will. It is a lot different. Before, you know, when we were out west, we were kind of the only show in town out West. Now you've got all those … there’s a plethora of schools in Arizona that have opened up and that just gives kids more options. That being said, you know, the talent is spread out a lot more. If you want to say the playing field is evened and it gives other schools the opportunity to have success and to win at a high level. I know Kevin (Boyle) had some people who would say dominance at Montverde Academy for several years, but even then, in his last couple years, you kind of just saw that making a change or a turn. I don't know that you'll see dominance at that level anymore, just because of the options that kids have all throughout the U.S.

Michael Peck helped build a basketball powerhouse at Findlay Prep. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What has the college ranks meant for your career as far as knowledge of the game? How different is it at that level compared to prep?

I don't know that coaches make dramatic changes, you know? Your personality is what your personality is. I think if you get older, I'd like to say I'd like to think I got a little wiser. I'm probably a little bit more patient than I was back when we were doing this at Findlay. You see that the how the generation of kids has just evolved, and you've got to adjust as a coach at all levels if you want to have any type of success and be able to engage and coach your players. I think some of the core values and principles as a coach that I have have not changed. I won't waver on some of that stuff. Obviously, dealing day to day with different personalities, they always say we're going to meet our kids where they're at. Well, I flipped that, and I say, coaching is a two-way street. You know, players have to meet us on some things too, as coaches. It's not just where you lay everything out for the player. I always said, especially in college, now it's getting to a point where I make the joke sometimes where all they got to do is open their eyes and breathe; everything is out there for them. Every resource is there for them at the college level, and I get that you got to equip them with things and the resources they need to be successful. But at the same time, once you step between the lines, those kids got to give us effort, consistent effort day to day, and it's got to be honest effort. They got to understand philosophically what we're trying to do and they got to conform to that. Like I said, it's a two-way street; we'll meet them where they are, but they've also got to meet us where we are.

You also had time at the pro level with the old D League. What was that experience like?

You know, at that time it was great. I look back and I loved that I had that opportunity, obviously. You know, you go from the elite high school straight to the NBA. I mean, that was unprecedented at the time. I always teased some of my players, ‘I beat you guys there’, so you know it was great for me at that time. After six years at Findlay, just on the hamster wheel, so to speak. In the success that we had, you're just trying to constantly repeat, repeat and repeat. It kind of can wear on you physically and mentally at that level. You're dealing with AAU coaches and parents, the NCAA in terms of academic qualifications, making sure all your guys are on track to qualify once they're done with you. Then obviously winning at a high level; once you've tasted it, you know, nobody likes to take a step backwards. The timing was great, you know, it was kind of like a deep sigh of relief, or a breath of fresh air, where I could go in and, you know, not have to worry about some of that stuff or have some of that stuff on my plate. Where you could just literally coach professionals and you know, obviously those guys are at the highest level in the world, in terms of their ability, talent, physical attributes. So that part was extremely rewarding and fun. The NBA is the highest level in the world, and you know, Coach (Terry) Stotts and that staff was phenomenal. I learned so much that first year; my head was spinning. You might as well have thrown me into a foreign country, and they were speaking a different language, because I was like, what in the world is this? And then that second year, I always say the seams on the pitch, I could see the seams on the pitch; it slowed down quite a bit for me, and I started grasping a lot of the things … the terminology and just the way that 24-second shot clock and some of their rules really changed it. It was an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world, and it was so valuable and instrumental in terms of my development as a coach.

I saw your son is a pretty good player at Boerne (Texas). Will he be playing with you at Link?

Yeah, he’ll come here. He needs that next level of development for sure.

Have you had a chance to coach him before, or is this the first time on a big stage?

Yes, this is the first time. Actually, I did a small defensive segment in there with their AAU team back in San Antonio, just because I felt like they just, they weren't very good defensively and they weren't guarding. I wanted to give them some basic things, so I spent about a almost an hour in their practice, just going over some defensive stuff with them. So that was kind of the first time I was hands-on with him, but he was good. He's ready for it. He's a cerebral player, great demeanor, great poise, really good feel for the game. He just needs that next level of going against a different level of player,

Schedule-wise, you’re going to see some of the best of the best. How exciting is that for your guys?

I'm anxious. Obviously, like I said, it's kind of different this time around. At Findlay, we played some big-time games, but some of our 30-game schedule back then wasn't against the top level; it was against traditional high schools. It was a little unbalanced, so we'd have some big wins; some nights you like that because of the pressure of the other games; you kind of needed a little bit of a layup, so to speak. I don't think it's like that anymore. I think the majority of your schedule now, and especially ours, is going to be a bear. I mean, we're going to have to lace them up and get after it every night. I'm going to have to be on my A game, make sure that we do everything we can and need to do to prepare these guys for those, for those games.

Name-wise, Link is up there with the top-tier programs now. What does the program have to do to stay there and what is the next step to be a national champion?

I think that's it's kind of like college, you know. The motto is, get old, stay old. You're trying to play against the older players, who are usually a little bit more physically ready and more prepared to play in those key matchups. The turnover, I think, is.. I just think that's part of it now. I just think, even at our level, if you've got a two-year guy on your roster, let's say, for example, we have some juniors that are good players for us, that's unbelievable. To put it in stone that they'll be back as seniors, you love that idea in the back of your mind; you're hoping, but at the same time you also know that nowadays I think sometimes it's just kids change and movement is just so prevalent that they do it because they want something different, you know? There's nothing wrong with where I was at. I just want something different.

How do you keep Link a part of the best teams in the country?

Great question. First off, I'm gonna go check to see if Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Avery Bradley, and Nigel Williams-Goss have any eligibility. No, seriously, it’s a challenge, and that's part of what's exciting. You know, nerve-wracking at times, but I just said Link is a very special place. When I started the process, being a head coach was on the list for sure, but I wasn't going to go somewhere just to do that. When I came down here and saw it and heard the people …. you know how hard it is to get in coaching at Division 1. I was at Division 1, had a good job. We had just had a fantastic season at Detroit Mercy and we just got another year added to our contracts. I was in a great spot. I’m from Michigan; that was kind of home for me. It wasn't like I was out of work; I just gotta take something. So I wasn't going to take something that I didn't feel had all the boxes checked, all the I’s dotted, T’s crossed, and when I came down here and saw it, and then heard it, I was like, this, this has everything we need in terms of getting it done and competing at the highest level. I think this is from a campus perspective, all encompassing. It's self-contained. It's unbelievable. The pictures do not do it justice. Let me tell you, it is, and the thing that really excited me, once I got my feet on the ground here, Branson's a lot bigger than I thought. I was a little bit concerned, maybe it's so small. Is there anything in Branson? Can our guys get away? They've got stuff, they've got restaurants, they've got shopping; they've got things that you can do, and guys can be normal teenagers. You know, pull the plug and get away a little bit, not hear me or see me for a day sometimes, so that really excited me even more. I think we've got everything in place to do what we're wanting to do, and that's that's that's the goal and that's the objective.

Link Academy's Tarris Reed Jr. (32) dunks during the first half of the GEICO Nationals quarterfinal between Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and Link Academy (Mo.), Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. Reed now plays for the San Antonio Spurs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

How will you build your roster?

Yeah, it’s a little bit of a daunting task when you look at it. Like I've always said, the rankings, when you rank players and stuff, that's great; to their credit, those kids work hard and earn it. I don't get consumed with that. I don't think you can have the top 10 players and that's your roster. Kids are going to leave, some pretty quick, because there's not enough minutes and there's not enough basketballs. I've always felt that there's a formula for constructing the roster and getting the right guys in the right seats, are key. I've always felt we did a good job in the past, you know, guys like Winston Shepard, Dominic Artis putting those guys around, Nigel Williams Goss and Anthony Bennett, Brandon Ashley, that's what made those teams really good. It’s those pieces in addition to your star power, so you know what, we'll continue to follow that model as closely as we can.

So a little like college, where you have 10 all-state guys and you’ve got to find a role?

Exactly. As much as we talk to guys on Zoom and show them what we got, the part that's probably most important that I always say at the end is, ‘hey, fire any questions you want at me, but I've got questions for you. You know, we're speed dating, and I've got to find out as much as about you and your mental makeup as a player as I can. And it's not an exact science, but I've got some questions that I specifically use that hopefully get me in their mind and what they're seeing. I can get a feel for them in terms of whether they're a fit or not.

For you, what would be a success for you guys in your first year? Is that a win thing, or is that a ranking thing, or is that just a development player thing, or a mix?

I think for anybody, you know, obviously your win-loss record is what you're measured by… that determines whether that was a good team or a bad team, so I mean, wins and losses, yes, those matter. But also it's revamping the roster; obviously it's year one for me, so getting it back, and obviously the style of play is going to be different than it was in the past. Anybody that's sitting in my seat, it would be different; that's just that's what head coaches do and that's what they're responsible for. I think the No. 1 thing is creating the culture; establishing the culture is so critical and like I say, one of the things that we're not going to do is I'm not going to compromise character. If you get sucked into somebody that's super talented but has a lot of issues and a lot of red flags in terms of their character and concerns, I don't know that that works, at least not for me. I say, they'll win you one game and lose you three, and the most important thing is the locker room. When you lose the locker room, it's hard to get it back in a season, so you know, we just want to make sure we're getting the right pieces and character is a big, big part of that. Our season's long enough as it is; it's going to be hard enough as it is. I say to every kid on the phone, is it going to be hard? Absolutely, it's going to be hard. It should be. Anything worth achieving is going to be hard, but we're going to have fun. We're going to have fun. I don't want the life sucked out of it by a bad apple that can ruin a bunch.

Add us as a preferred source on Google