Miami East's Chad Widener has distinguished himself by winning with established talent...while developing the next generation.

It doesn't seem fair...that at year's end there only one selected as that coach who outcoached, outperformed or outpoliticked everyone else for whatever recognition amounts to being called..."Coach of The Year".

But the fact is, there are numerous men and women that could qualify...should qualify...and should be recognized. Trouble is, at year's end there can only be one champion on the court, and hence, that mindset tends to color (or cloud) our perspectives as it pertains to coaches, too. Better, we think, to take the time now...at the halfway point of the season...to recognize some area names who more than qualify for their effectiveness and impact on the kids they coach. Better to do it now, we think, while we still have some objectivity.

Chris Besecker...girls coach, Covington High School
The thing is, about Besecker...with him you get the sense that it doesn't matter if he's ever recognized. The man comes across as being totally selfless...at least where coaching's concerned.

While many may claim that with this coach or that coach, "...it's all about the kids", with Besecker it really is all about the kids who play...and win for him at Covington. And boy, do they win...recently voted the #1 seed in the upcoming sectional tournament. Moreover, they win in a fashion that makes girls basketball...make sense.

At Covington they win with defense...with a stifling attitude that's upsetting to Besecker if they underachieve. Recently, the Lady Buccs gave up just 7 points in the first half of a game...and Besecker was upset because "...we could have played better." His players swear by him...for his intense attitude, the consistency he's brought to Covington basketball and the record. Chris Besecker has won more than 260 games at Covington...by far, more than any other coach in the history of the school.

Dan Hegemier...boys coach, New Knoxville High School
For years, Hegemier labored in virtual anonymity at Ft. Loramie, racking up wins and championships while being largely unappreciated outside the community of his coaching colleagues. The Redskins were a tough date on anyone's schedule and preparation for them meant preparation in response to the preparation that you knew Hegemier would bring to the gym.

"He does as good a job with his preparation as anyone who's ever coached the game," says one rival MAC coach, a fact echoed by WPTW broadcaster, Joe Neves, who's followed Hememier's career for much of his 29 years in radio. "Dan's possibly the most intense coach on game nights I've ever seen," says Neves. "The best guy in the world to meet and talk to on Wednesday, but all business on Fridays and you'd better have all the information you need before you get to the game because there's no pre-game interviews with Hegemier."

Now enjoying success at New Knoxville in one of the state's most competitive conferences, St. Henry coach Joe Niekamp welcomes his reputation and skills to the MAC community.

"They'll surprise some people because they're talented...and they have Dan Hegemier," says Niekamp. "And that's no surprise!"

Matt Pond...boys coach, Tippecanoe High School
It might just be that no other area program has seen its kids buy into what the coach is selling more than those at Tipp City, where Pond has his Red Devils off to a 13-0 record while electrifying the locals, who take more than a little pride in the school's reputation for winning basketball.

The fact is that Pond's Devils take such pride in their team defense that opponents rarely score 40 points. To date only three have done it in thirteen games. It's Pond's mantra that they can't beat you if they can't score...and in a day of athletic individualism the buy-in by his kids is a remarkable thing to watch. Moreover, it carries over to their play on offense, where the buy-in is about balance, sharing the ball and the kind of patience that causes opposing defenses to break down.

The Tipp kids, for all their success, rarely talk about personal accomplishment...deferring to the play of a teammate that might have been overlooked by the casual fan in the stands. A key rebound is as important in their view of how the game is played as a three-point shot at the buzzer. In fact, if you do enough of the little things you don't need the shot at the buzzer.

Now that's a buy-in!

Chad Widener...girls coach, Miami East High School
It's hard to argue against any list including the Vikings' Chad Widener.

And, it's hard to argue with the success he's enjoyed during the past three seasons when he won with a tall, talented and experienced group. What's more impressive is how he's continued to win this year with a young, smallish and inexperienced group that features the considerable contribution of but one senior...holdover Allie Peterson.

In an area that features a number of outstanding personalities among girls basketball coaches...among them Tom Rettig, Chris Besecker and Loramie's Carla Siegel...it's possible that none of them do a better job of developing and nurturing young talent than Widener. The reason? He believes in his kids and demonstrates his faith by allowing them to grow at game speed. In return, his players have flourished in his school of hard knocks against the good competition of the Central Buckeye Conference.

Unfortunately for senior Peterson, this is not a team that's likely to threaten for a district title next month. But fortunately for Viking faithful, it is a group that will come back next year older, wiser and capable of making the claim that basketball at East is alive and well...under Chad Widener!

Roger Craft...boys coach, Covington High School
Yes...both coaches at Covington grace our list of mid-term honorees, but of all those on our list perhaps none have endured frustration more quietly in his pursuit of success than Roger Craft.

While the Buccaneers are 11-2 and a good bet to get either the first or second seed at the Piqua sectional, it's been a long road to the vindication that Craft's enjoyed with this year's success. With a talented group that many claim to have underachieved in their prior three years together, Craft has steadfastly maintained his faith and patience that they would eventually mature and come together as a winning basketball team. Others in the community have not always been so patient with Craft.

And while Covington quietly makes its way through the Cross County Conference and an expected league title, Craft has deferred any and all recognition to the accomplishments of his players...taking as much pride in the fact of their maturity and character as in the matter of their record. Above all, coaches like Craft understand that the records only last in the minds of the critics for a short time. The fact of what kind of men those kids grow up to become is a lifetime accomplishment.

Kudos to men like Roger Craft!

The FanFile

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