Coach's Bench Demeanor

[GovMan]

From my vantage point, I get up close and personal with most visiting coaches that bring their teams into William Blount to play. It's always interesting for me watch a coach "work" on the bench. Here are some observations (not meant to judge a coach's overall ability cause I'm not around these guys enough in practice to know everything about them:

 

David Baumann (WB): Start out with my own coach. He's very animated on the bench. Has been known to punch a chair or two. People sometimes, in their first impression, think he's "over-the-top" but these are people who don't know the man. I've known him for many, many years. He's a player's coach. He's extremely competitive. He hates to lose at anything. He'll jump on his players sometimes, but he always makes sure they know it's just game related and they know when it's all said and done he loves 'em and will back them 100%. Getting better and better at "working" the referees. I'm biased, but I think he's one of the best young coaching talents around.

 

Donald Dodgen (Farragut): I like this guy. He's the best I've seen at "working" refs. Carries on a fairly continous dialogue with ref's going by him. He'll butter them up throughout the game until he needs to get a point across to them. Doe's a good job of teaching his players during games. Ususally stays pretty calm and cool. Saw him lose it once, with a player who deserved it last year in tournament. The kid cussed right in front of the ref and the coach, cost the Admirals a technical, and I thought Coach Dodgen was going to explode.

 

Mark Blevins (Bearden): Not much personality on the bench at all ... if anything, very cold and unattached. Hard to tell if his players really like him or are just intimidated by him. No question, his grasp of the game and the way he utilizes players is second to none.

 

Campbell County Coach--can't remember this guys name, but he is a class act. Have watched him two years, he is a great teacher and a great motivator. He's a little 'old school' in his relationship with his players. They have to realize that he is in charge. He took a kid out last night and the kid started to talk back to him and he was real quick to point out that "you do not talk back to me, you just listen." He then sat the kid's butt at the end of the bench until the point soaked in with him. One of my favorites to watch.

 

Andy Rines (Heritage): Have watched him since he was at West. He's classy. Great communicator with his players. Realistic in what his team can and can not do. I hope that Heritage is patient with him and I hope that he builds a dyanasty there. He deserves it ... he's a good guy.

 

Micah Marsh (Alcoa): He's another one of a group of brilliant young coaches in this area. He's an Alcoa boy through and through. Great teacher. Seems to stay cool and collected under pressure no matter what. Understands 21st century high school kids and how to coach 'em. Wonder if he'll end up on the next level coaching someday.

 

Well, that's a few ... anyone else want to add some names of some coaches who's "bench style" has caught your attention?

[smalltown]

Randy Moore (Seymour) - very classy, and one of the best coaches in the area...probably the most underrated coach anywhere - been to state semis with both boys and girls at Seymour.

 

Gary Petko (West) - one of the nicest guys in coaching

[GovMan]

Not seen Coach Moore much but what I've heard about him matches up with your assessment.

 

Totally agree with you on Petko. I used to love to see Coach Lindsey from West, just to see what he was going to be wearing. He was always a sharp dressed man. Only coach I ever heard exclaim, "Chicken Snot," during the heat of the battle.