KEARNEY, Neb. — Friday’s news conference at UNK’s Health and Sports Center was billed as an introduction. But it was really more like a homecoming.

A return to Kearney for a Central Nebraska native and former Loper player. Marty Levinson makes it clear. He’s wanted this job for years.

“Always in the back of my mind, this place has been special to me," Levinson said. "My teams are going to play hard and they’re going to play together.”

Now he’ll get to prove that on the court where his team once produced an epic regional final win.

“And I just remember running right over here and all of us are just jumping for joy and I don’t think there’s an open seat in the house,” Levinson said.

The memories have stayed with him for 20 years. So have the lessons from his former coach, Tom Kropp, who was in the front row Friday morning.

“Those things have always stuck with me and I have so much of Coach Kropp in me," Levinson said. "He helped me grow to be a good man.”

“I saw an awful lot of myself in Marty, so it doesn’t surprise me," Kropp said. "We’re both pretty similar people.”

As much as the event was a look back, Loper leaders have their eyes fixed ahead following consecutive five-win seasons. Athletic Director Marc Bauer awarded Levinson with a three-year contract.

“I have to lend him the grace, or give him grace that it may take awhile," Bauer said. "But on the other hand, we’ve seen programs in the MIAA that have gone from the bottom of the barrel to the top in one year. So could it be done? Yes. Does Marty have that talent, does he have the connections to do that? I believe he does.”

Levinson promises to place a priority on in-state players and draw on his background as a junior college head coach to complete the roster.

“I’m going to get some high flyers in here, so there’s going to be some real excitement," Levinson said. "But inside of that, they’re going to do things the right way.”

He hopes his teams of the future look a lot like the ones Kropp coached in the past.

“To follow in his legacy, it’s so powerful," Levinson said. "I’m so blessed and I’m so thankful and now I’m going to do everything I can to make him proud every day.”