H.S. BASKETBALL: Bryowsky steps into head role at Milan

For the past nine seasons, Kevin Bryowsky has been an assistant coach for the Milan boys' basketball team.

On Thursday, Bryowsky was tabbed as the next head basketball coach for the Bulldogs.

"When I first got into coaching, I wanted to be a head coach anywhere, but once I got in the school system, there was no attempt to go anywhere else," Bryowsky said.

Bryowsky has served as an assistant under Todd Sheppard and Dexter Williams, and he has learned from both of them.

"From Coach Sheppard, I learned family values and teaching the kids that," Bryowsky said. "He wanted to make sure that the kids knew he cared. He was big into man and zone defense

"Coach Williams was tough and demanded nothing but the best. He showed me how to find which players had the potential to succeed and who I could count on. He was big on pressure defense. I am not going to be Coach Sheppard or Coach Williams, but I am going to incorporate what I learned from them."

Learning through the past nine years has been important to Bryowsky.

"I have learned from them and other coaches what not to do," he said. "The biggest part of being a part of something is always being willing to learn. I have enjoyed learning from everybody."

So when Williams became the new principal and athletic director at West Carroll earlier this month, Bryowsky was ready to put his name in for the position.

"There were two sides," he said. "I felt happy for him and the opportunity, but I hated him leaving because I learned so much from him. Dexter has been a great person to work with. We always worked as co-coaches and worked well together. So when he left, I wanted to put my hand in it."

Since Williams left, Bryowsky hasn't stopped with his normal duties as a coach.

"I wanted to do what was needed because my first thought is about the kids," he said. "We had tryouts, and we have been working out ever since. I kept running practice as normal until they told me yesterday that I was the new head coach."

The transition period will be short because the players already know Bryowsky, and the team will quickly get into summer training.

"Things will be a little different because I am a little different," he said. "We will try to get into my system this summer and start in on my philosophy.

"We want to build a family off the floor. I can already see that on the court with the kids coming together by slapping each other on the back side after a big play or clapping. If the kids are buying in at practice, they are going to be willing to do it in a game."

Michael Odom, 425-9754