Rhodes Collects 300th Victory
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
When looking back, it might never have been at Warsaw for Al Rhodes.
If fate hadn't been on his side, he probably wouldn't have been able to celebrate his 300th win as the boys' basketball coach of the Tigers.
About 16 years ago when Warsaw was looking for a coach to replace Jim Miller, who had just moved onto Huntington, school officials looked at Rhodes, but he wasn't there first choice. He might not have even been there second choice.
But as it turned out, Rhodes, then a Tiger assistant coach, got the head coaching position and two games into his 17th season at Warsaw, he upped his coaching record to 300-100 with a thrilling 63-62 win over Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley Wednesday at the Tiger Den.
"When Kathy (his wife) and I first came here we really thought we were going to be 2 or 3 three years because we thought Coach Miller would be here a long time, and we thought we would be moving on," Rhodes said. "When he decided to move to Huntington, it took them a long time before they decided to name me as the head coach. I think they wanted some other people that they weren't able to get. Finally, they came back to me. I appreciate that opportunity."
Rhodes took over in the 1980-81 season and immediately took the Tigers to the Final Four. The next season he finished 4-18 and heard the grumbling to get a new coach. But he remained the coach and eventually won his only state championship in 1984. Rhodes has taken four different teams to the Final Four, won the state title and coached two Mr. Basketballs: Jeff Grose (1985) and Kevin Ault (1996).
He has also won 10 sectional, 5 regional titles and 8 Northern Lakes Conference championships.
Rhodes, a 1970 graduate of Penn High School, came to Warsaw after being an assistant coach at Angola High School and Tri-State University.
It didn't start off too well for Rhodes and Miller when they were trying to set the building blocks for a program back in the late 1970s.
"When we first came to Warsaw, me and Coach Miller back in 1977, we really couldn't find any players who were willing to pay the price that is necessary to chase a state championship," Rhodes said.
They finally found a group that were ready to be the ones that Rhodes and Miller were looking for in Ron Brandenburg, Eric Sebo, Mark Sumpter, Mike Petro and Randy Heisler.
"As time went by, we finally came up with five guys who decided they were going to listen to us, and they were going to push," Rhodes said. "They were our first group of leaders. Then I have had countless groups that have followed their lead."
Rhodes' success has led to attention and appreciation around the state and country as one of the top programs around. That interest in what Rhodes is doing at Warsaw has led to several other job opportunities, but yet not good enough to get him away from the Tigers.
"We get calls on different jobs, but when we look at the total school system here and the area, Warsaw is just a great place to raise kids," Rhodes said. "That is pretty much what has kept us here. It is a basketball town."
Everything Rhodes has accomplished has not come alone, and he knows that. Assistant coaches, players and family have helped along the way these past 17 seasons.
"What first comes to mind is Hal Gunter, who has been with me throughout my time here at Warsaw, and I thank him for all of his efforts over the years," Rhodes said. "Along with all of our assistant coaches now, and the ones we have had.
"I certainly appreciate the support I get from Kathy my wife and my sons (Chris, 14 and Curtis, 12), I spend a lot of time away from them with other people's children," he said. "Four hundred games seems like a lot of games to coach. And 300 (wins) out of 400, I am very proud of that." [[In-content Ad]]
When looking back, it might never have been at Warsaw for Al Rhodes.
If fate hadn't been on his side, he probably wouldn't have been able to celebrate his 300th win as the boys' basketball coach of the Tigers.
About 16 years ago when Warsaw was looking for a coach to replace Jim Miller, who had just moved onto Huntington, school officials looked at Rhodes, but he wasn't there first choice. He might not have even been there second choice.
But as it turned out, Rhodes, then a Tiger assistant coach, got the head coaching position and two games into his 17th season at Warsaw, he upped his coaching record to 300-100 with a thrilling 63-62 win over Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley Wednesday at the Tiger Den.
"When Kathy (his wife) and I first came here we really thought we were going to be 2 or 3 three years because we thought Coach Miller would be here a long time, and we thought we would be moving on," Rhodes said. "When he decided to move to Huntington, it took them a long time before they decided to name me as the head coach. I think they wanted some other people that they weren't able to get. Finally, they came back to me. I appreciate that opportunity."
Rhodes took over in the 1980-81 season and immediately took the Tigers to the Final Four. The next season he finished 4-18 and heard the grumbling to get a new coach. But he remained the coach and eventually won his only state championship in 1984. Rhodes has taken four different teams to the Final Four, won the state title and coached two Mr. Basketballs: Jeff Grose (1985) and Kevin Ault (1996).
He has also won 10 sectional, 5 regional titles and 8 Northern Lakes Conference championships.
Rhodes, a 1970 graduate of Penn High School, came to Warsaw after being an assistant coach at Angola High School and Tri-State University.
It didn't start off too well for Rhodes and Miller when they were trying to set the building blocks for a program back in the late 1970s.
"When we first came to Warsaw, me and Coach Miller back in 1977, we really couldn't find any players who were willing to pay the price that is necessary to chase a state championship," Rhodes said.
They finally found a group that were ready to be the ones that Rhodes and Miller were looking for in Ron Brandenburg, Eric Sebo, Mark Sumpter, Mike Petro and Randy Heisler.
"As time went by, we finally came up with five guys who decided they were going to listen to us, and they were going to push," Rhodes said. "They were our first group of leaders. Then I have had countless groups that have followed their lead."
Rhodes' success has led to attention and appreciation around the state and country as one of the top programs around. That interest in what Rhodes is doing at Warsaw has led to several other job opportunities, but yet not good enough to get him away from the Tigers.
"We get calls on different jobs, but when we look at the total school system here and the area, Warsaw is just a great place to raise kids," Rhodes said. "That is pretty much what has kept us here. It is a basketball town."
Everything Rhodes has accomplished has not come alone, and he knows that. Assistant coaches, players and family have helped along the way these past 17 seasons.
"What first comes to mind is Hal Gunter, who has been with me throughout my time here at Warsaw, and I thank him for all of his efforts over the years," Rhodes said. "Along with all of our assistant coaches now, and the ones we have had.
"I certainly appreciate the support I get from Kathy my wife and my sons (Chris, 14 and Curtis, 12), I spend a lot of time away from them with other people's children," he said. "Four hundred games seems like a lot of games to coach. And 300 (wins) out of 400, I am very proud of that." [[In-content Ad]]