Linn-Mar High School made a bold move when it selected 23-year-old Jaime Printy as its new varsity girls basketball coach last week.

It was also a smart move and an encouraging move.

It's gratifying to see local schools giving their alumni a chance to come home and coach at the varsity level, even at a young age.

Xavier High School gave Bailey Dorrington (now Bailey Winter) a chance to coach the girls soccer team last year and she responded by leading the Saints to another state title, just a few years after starring for Xavier herself.

Jefferson High School gave Kyle Rodenkirk the keys to the baseball program last year and he's in the process of rebuilding the program at his alma mater.

Printy, Dorrington and Rodenkirk all are relatively young, but so what? They are smart, dynamic, relate well to high school kids, serve as terrific role models and are extremely knowledgeable about their respective sports.

Good coaches come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Some people are born to coach, or at least exhibit early signs in high school and college. Printy, Dorrington and Rodenkirk fit that description, as do many others.

Coaching is a tricky profession where you have to deal with athletes, parents and administrators on a regular basis. There are fewer "lifers" in the business these days, because they get burned out and decide the long hours, low pay and constant headaches are not worth it.

Dorrington proved her value to Xavier High School last year. So did Rodenkirk, even though the J-Hawks had a tough year in 2013.

Here's hoping Printy steps in and has a successful season next year as a rookie head coach after excelling with Linn-Mar and the University of Iowa as a player. She spent one season as an assistant at Linn-Mar this year, now is moving up.

The more these young coaches succeed, the more school administrators will decide to give the next young coach a chance.