Local Coach Standing Pat
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
"When guys get out of (coaching), I have heard them say, 'When it's your time, you'll know'," the long-time Whitko and current Tippcanoe Valley coach said. "I'm not sure what that means."[[In-content Ad]]This spring, northern Indiana lost 1,364 wins with Plymouth's Jack Edison (545), NorthWood's Dan Gunn (454) and John Glenn's Gordon Mosson (365) stepping down from their posts as boys basketball coaches. Those coaches may have put an end to their win totals, but the man with the fourth-most wins among active coaches is still going strong.
"I still enjoy it," Patrick, whose career record stands at 642-220, said. "Health is also a factor when it comes to continuing, but that goes for everybody. I did have the car accident, but I've recovered from that with no problems."
Patrick's aforementioned accident occurred last season when the car he was driving flipped over repeatedly after he attempted to avoid a deer only a mile from his home. The accident sent Patrick to the hospital with a number of broken ribs, a broken collarbone and shoulder, a ruptured spleen and a couple broken bones in his back. After spending four days in the hospital, he sill found his way to practice the same day he was released, and even attended a basketball game three days later, although he wasn't allowed to sit on the bench.
His reason for wanting to get back so quickly?
"It's a challenge," he said of coaching young men. "Every kid is different. They key is to treat each kid differently. If you have 10 kids, you can't treat them all the same, but you must treat them all fair. There's a difference between treating kids fair and treating them the same."
Treating kids fairly may help win games, but Patrick's competitive fire also helps.
Current Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson recalls a game in the 1970s when he was coaching at White's High School and Patrick was at South Whitley. With White's up by 25 points at halftime, Fulkerson remembers Patrick entering his team's locker room, asking him where he had gotten the two officials for the game.
"I told him, 'Coach, these are the same officials you had last year at your place, when you were up by 20 at halftime'," Fulkserson said.
Down by 25, Patrick's coaching style changed in the second half, helping make the game a little closer.
"We ended up winning by two," Fulkerson said. "But that was the first time I had ever seen a coach from the opposing team in our locker room."
Edison, who hung up his whistle just months after his Pilgrims won the Class 3A state championship, also is familiar with Patrick's teams.
"His teams always take on his demeanor," the recently retired Plymouth coach said. "They always play on an even-keel. They're not going to be emotional, up and down, they're just steadfast. They're gonna play hard, but play purposeful."
During his tenure as a head coach, Patrick has never recorded a losing season. In his first season at the now-defunct Sidney High School, Patrick's squad went 13-9 in 1963, improving on a 1962 record of 8-11. Through consolidations, Sidney turned into South Whitley, which eventually became Whitko in 1971. Having also coached at South Whitley, Patrick's 1971 Wildcats went 11-10, the closest he has ever gotten to a losing season.
"As far as records go, I don't ever look at that - it doesn't matter that much to me" he said. "But not having a losing season is probably the one that means something."
His ability to keep his teams above .500 isn't by accident.
"You have to plan ahead a little bit," he said. "I'm always looking at my freshmen and sophomores, that way I have an idea of who will be around the next year."
With that kind of foresight, Patrick's 24 years at Whitko saw him post a 400-147 record, which included a 21-1 mark in the 1979-1980 season and a final four appearance in the one-class tournament in 1991.
"We actually beat Marion and Dan Gunn at semistate that year," Patrick said of his team's 68-59 semistate championship win.
The final four appearance was a Whitko highlight for the coach who stepped down from the position following the 1994-1995 season. After three years away from the game, Patrick received a phone call from Tippecanoe Valley, putting him back on the court.
"I guaranteed them I'd coach three years, but not more than five," Patrick said of taking the Valley job. "At that point, I wasn't sure how long I'd coach, because I had a grandson entering his freshman season at Manchester (High School), so I wanted to spend time watching him."
He may have had time to watch his grandson, but he also found plenty of time to coach Valley, having completed his ninth season this year. During his latest coaching tenure, Patrick has racked up four sectional titles, as well as a regional crown en route to a 164-40 mark with the Vikings.
In his first year at Valley, Patrick once again showcased his ability to turn a program around, going 14-7 a year after the Vikings had completed the 1997-1998 season with a 6-15 record. Patrick's instant success stems from his ability to find talent in players that other coaches may not discover. Such was the case with Jarvis Shepherd.
In the year prior to Patrick's arrival at Valley, Shepherd could be found on the Valley bench. With Patrick running the show, Shepherd was leading the Vikings to a winning season, while also earning Times-Union All-Area honors.
Patrick found a way to get the best out of Shepherd, but with so much experience with adolescents, it wasn't much of a surprise to him. Though he's still able to relate to today's youth, he's definitely witnessed a change in his players throughout the years.
"In the 60s, 70s and even 80s, the big difference was probably that the kids grew up working on farms," the veteran coach said. "Today, not many kids are growing up on the farms, so they don't have that job. When kids did work on the farm everyday, it was fun to go to basketball practice. Now, kids are just playing video games. So for high school kids, practice is probably the hardest thing they do."
And Fulkerson knows that if Patrick's kids do pay attention during practice, and work hard during those sessions, they're bound to succeed.
"You know the plays they want to do," Fulkerson said of coaching against a Patrick-led squad. "You try to stop them, but they still execute the plays. His teams have a great reputation for being fundamentally sound, and they don't make too many mistakes."
Those fundamentals have put Patrick three wins behind Lewis Cass' Basil Mawbey (645) on Indiana's active coaching list, but according to him, the number of wins isn't all that important.
"The 500th win seemed to be a number most people looked at for whatever reason," an understated Patrick said.
With 642 wins and a 38-year career which has never seen a losing record, it's easy to see how others seem to be more impressed with Patrick's career than he even is.
"Anyone who can coach 38 seasons of basketball in the state of Indiana without a losing season, is without a doubt, one of the best coaches Indiana's ever produced," Fulkerson said. "Just look at the number of wins. He's always done a great job with young athletes."
As far as the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame goes, Edison also believes Patrick's just waiting to hear his name called.
"He is already, it's just not been recognized yet," Edison said of Patrick's chances of being in the hall of fame. "There is no doubt in mind."
For now, Patrick's focus is on the 2007-2008 Vikings, not any hall of fame honors. And as far as stepping away goes, he can speak for himself.
"It's something you think about at the end of the season," Patrick said of retirement. "But normally, it's not something I give much thought to."
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"When guys get out of (coaching), I have heard them say, 'When it's your time, you'll know'," the long-time Whitko and current Tippcanoe Valley coach said. "I'm not sure what that means."[[In-content Ad]]This spring, northern Indiana lost 1,364 wins with Plymouth's Jack Edison (545), NorthWood's Dan Gunn (454) and John Glenn's Gordon Mosson (365) stepping down from their posts as boys basketball coaches. Those coaches may have put an end to their win totals, but the man with the fourth-most wins among active coaches is still going strong.
"I still enjoy it," Patrick, whose career record stands at 642-220, said. "Health is also a factor when it comes to continuing, but that goes for everybody. I did have the car accident, but I've recovered from that with no problems."
Patrick's aforementioned accident occurred last season when the car he was driving flipped over repeatedly after he attempted to avoid a deer only a mile from his home. The accident sent Patrick to the hospital with a number of broken ribs, a broken collarbone and shoulder, a ruptured spleen and a couple broken bones in his back. After spending four days in the hospital, he sill found his way to practice the same day he was released, and even attended a basketball game three days later, although he wasn't allowed to sit on the bench.
His reason for wanting to get back so quickly?
"It's a challenge," he said of coaching young men. "Every kid is different. They key is to treat each kid differently. If you have 10 kids, you can't treat them all the same, but you must treat them all fair. There's a difference between treating kids fair and treating them the same."
Treating kids fairly may help win games, but Patrick's competitive fire also helps.
Current Warsaw Community High School Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson recalls a game in the 1970s when he was coaching at White's High School and Patrick was at South Whitley. With White's up by 25 points at halftime, Fulkerson remembers Patrick entering his team's locker room, asking him where he had gotten the two officials for the game.
"I told him, 'Coach, these are the same officials you had last year at your place, when you were up by 20 at halftime'," Fulkserson said.
Down by 25, Patrick's coaching style changed in the second half, helping make the game a little closer.
"We ended up winning by two," Fulkerson said. "But that was the first time I had ever seen a coach from the opposing team in our locker room."
Edison, who hung up his whistle just months after his Pilgrims won the Class 3A state championship, also is familiar with Patrick's teams.
"His teams always take on his demeanor," the recently retired Plymouth coach said. "They always play on an even-keel. They're not going to be emotional, up and down, they're just steadfast. They're gonna play hard, but play purposeful."
During his tenure as a head coach, Patrick has never recorded a losing season. In his first season at the now-defunct Sidney High School, Patrick's squad went 13-9 in 1963, improving on a 1962 record of 8-11. Through consolidations, Sidney turned into South Whitley, which eventually became Whitko in 1971. Having also coached at South Whitley, Patrick's 1971 Wildcats went 11-10, the closest he has ever gotten to a losing season.
"As far as records go, I don't ever look at that - it doesn't matter that much to me" he said. "But not having a losing season is probably the one that means something."
His ability to keep his teams above .500 isn't by accident.
"You have to plan ahead a little bit," he said. "I'm always looking at my freshmen and sophomores, that way I have an idea of who will be around the next year."
With that kind of foresight, Patrick's 24 years at Whitko saw him post a 400-147 record, which included a 21-1 mark in the 1979-1980 season and a final four appearance in the one-class tournament in 1991.
"We actually beat Marion and Dan Gunn at semistate that year," Patrick said of his team's 68-59 semistate championship win.
The final four appearance was a Whitko highlight for the coach who stepped down from the position following the 1994-1995 season. After three years away from the game, Patrick received a phone call from Tippecanoe Valley, putting him back on the court.
"I guaranteed them I'd coach three years, but not more than five," Patrick said of taking the Valley job. "At that point, I wasn't sure how long I'd coach, because I had a grandson entering his freshman season at Manchester (High School), so I wanted to spend time watching him."
He may have had time to watch his grandson, but he also found plenty of time to coach Valley, having completed his ninth season this year. During his latest coaching tenure, Patrick has racked up four sectional titles, as well as a regional crown en route to a 164-40 mark with the Vikings.
In his first year at Valley, Patrick once again showcased his ability to turn a program around, going 14-7 a year after the Vikings had completed the 1997-1998 season with a 6-15 record. Patrick's instant success stems from his ability to find talent in players that other coaches may not discover. Such was the case with Jarvis Shepherd.
In the year prior to Patrick's arrival at Valley, Shepherd could be found on the Valley bench. With Patrick running the show, Shepherd was leading the Vikings to a winning season, while also earning Times-Union All-Area honors.
Patrick found a way to get the best out of Shepherd, but with so much experience with adolescents, it wasn't much of a surprise to him. Though he's still able to relate to today's youth, he's definitely witnessed a change in his players throughout the years.
"In the 60s, 70s and even 80s, the big difference was probably that the kids grew up working on farms," the veteran coach said. "Today, not many kids are growing up on the farms, so they don't have that job. When kids did work on the farm everyday, it was fun to go to basketball practice. Now, kids are just playing video games. So for high school kids, practice is probably the hardest thing they do."
And Fulkerson knows that if Patrick's kids do pay attention during practice, and work hard during those sessions, they're bound to succeed.
"You know the plays they want to do," Fulkerson said of coaching against a Patrick-led squad. "You try to stop them, but they still execute the plays. His teams have a great reputation for being fundamentally sound, and they don't make too many mistakes."
Those fundamentals have put Patrick three wins behind Lewis Cass' Basil Mawbey (645) on Indiana's active coaching list, but according to him, the number of wins isn't all that important.
"The 500th win seemed to be a number most people looked at for whatever reason," an understated Patrick said.
With 642 wins and a 38-year career which has never seen a losing record, it's easy to see how others seem to be more impressed with Patrick's career than he even is.
"Anyone who can coach 38 seasons of basketball in the state of Indiana without a losing season, is without a doubt, one of the best coaches Indiana's ever produced," Fulkerson said. "Just look at the number of wins. He's always done a great job with young athletes."
As far as the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame goes, Edison also believes Patrick's just waiting to hear his name called.
"He is already, it's just not been recognized yet," Edison said of Patrick's chances of being in the hall of fame. "There is no doubt in mind."
For now, Patrick's focus is on the 2007-2008 Vikings, not any hall of fame honors. And as far as stepping away goes, he can speak for himself.
"It's something you think about at the end of the season," Patrick said of retirement. "But normally, it's not something I give much thought to."
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