For Alan Bauman, it's been all about timing.

The timing was right for Bauman back in 1991. The Freeport graduate went to Geneva College to play basketball and found a good fit there.

The timing was right in 2004 when he joined Win Palmer's coaching staff at Sewickley Academy.

He spent 10 years there before spending three (2014-17) at Geneva College as an associate head men's basketball coach.

“I really grew up under Coach Palmer,” Bauman said. “I went there as a young kid and thought I knew everything. His demeanor and how he taught you was perfect for me. He let you make mistakes and then sat you down and told you here's why. He taught me to always slow down. Don't think ahead. Think about today. Win today and move forward.”

The timing was right for Bauman this fall, too.

When Ron McNabb stepped down as the Knoch boys basketball coach to focus on his basketball academy and travel more with his wife, Bauman leapt at the chance to pursue the job.

It seemed like a no-brainer. Bauman's uncle played for Knoch. His wife, Michelle, is a Knoch graduate.

His eldest son, Isiah, recently graduated from Freeport and is a member of the men's basketball team at Point Park College.

“When the job came open, my family thought it was the right timing,” Bauman said. “If this was last year and (Isiah) was a senior, I wouldn't have even thought about it. With him being gone ... it just seemed like the right time to get back into coaching.”

Bauman inherits a program that has posted a 37-11 record the last two years.

Knoch did lose four starters to graduation, but Ryan Lang returns at guard. Lang averaged 17.2 points per game and hit 69 3-pointers last season as a sophomore.

Bauman's task will be blending his basketball philosophy with the players on his roster.

“With the lateness of the hire, I can't just come in and change everything,” Bauman said. “I've watched a lot of film on them from last season and I'm trying to mesh things. As we get more comfortable, we'll become more us as we go.”

That may be even more challenging given the COVID-19 restrictions.

Bauman is taking a similar approach with the pandemic as he has with everything else.

“It's one day at a time — it's almost one minute at a time,” Bauman said. “We want to teach every day and get better every day. Getting in there teaching and building trust so when you're in January in a tough section game ... they trust you and you trust them.”

Bauman hired Knoch graduate Jordan Shoop, son of longtime Knights' coach Les Shoop, as one of his assistant coaches. He also tapped North Catholic graduate Timon Gribbin as an assistant.

“It's a really nice balance,” Bauman said. “You bring Jordan in, the second all-time leading scorer at Knoch, led them in 2004 to the WPIAL championship, and his dad is obviously a legend there. You get that Knoch community connection because, at the end of the day, I'm still a Freeport guy, so I'm learning the community.

“Timon is a young guy who brings that energy and excitement and that's great,” Bauman added. “I think we have a really nice staff.”