The news that Winder-Barrow High School boys basketball coach Eli Connell has stepped down after six years directing the Bulldogg program was admittedly a surprise to me.
While I only had the opportunity to work with Connell for one season in a sports writer-coach relationship, I was impressed with how he directed the WBHS program and how he conducted himself on and off the court.
Ironically, I had spoken with Connell just two days before his decision to step down as the Bulldogg coach. Connell was looking forward to the offseason and while he was still disappointed at how the 2008-09 campaign ended, the fire certainly seemed to be in his voice as he mapped out his team’s plans for the summer.
That all changed, however, when word came down that Connell was stepping aside as coach. I’ve been in this business long enough to be suspicious of items of this nature, but Connell says he was not pressured to do so and that the decision was his own.
I certainly hope that was the case, because Connell led the Bulldoggs to six winning seasons in as many years. He had just led them to a subregion title and while WBHS was upset in the quarterfinals of the Region 8-AAAA tournament, there certainly was no need for a change in the program’s leadership. I trust there was no pressure, from any source, for Connell to give up his role as basketball mentor.
The future is uncertain for the coach right now. He admits he might not coach basketball next season although he is willing to look at the right situation. Rumors abound about a situation not far from WBHS and all I can say is if the new school wants a solid basketball coach then it would be wise to give Connell a call, if it hasn’t already.
For the WBHS Bulldogg program, a new coach must be found. Finding one who has as much success as Connell did will not be easy. Finding one with the passion for the job Connell had will be even tougher.
A new coach won’t find a rebuilding job awaiting when he begins coaching the Bulldoggs in 2009-10. Instead, the new head coach will find a program on solid ground, with some key players returning to lead the way.
Nothing is guaranteed in high school athletics, but when it comes to WBHS basketball, the situation has been made pretty rosy for the new mentor when he arrives on campus. The person to thank for that is Eli Connell and what he has done since becoming head coach six years ago.
Losing a coach is never easy for a program. Some would throw away coaches like yesterday’s newspaper, but that’s never a wise thing to do.
Those who truly understand athletics realize this.
WBHS needs to chose a new coach wisely because the one who just left is going to be tough to replace. The standard has been set at a lofty height and it’s always easier to fall than it is to climb when it comes to athletics.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
