Coach was an official

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I became a basketball offical because of my H.S. basketball coach.

For those of you who do not know, I graduated from H.S. in 1969. The H.S. I attended was a dominant boys' basketball power in the area from the early 1950's until the early 1970's. The reason was the school's boys basketball head coach (he was also the boys' and girls' golf coach) for the entire time. He and his family were our next door neighbors and his two sons and two daughters and my sister and I grew up together and were and still are best of friends. The three of us boys played basketball and golf and the three girls played golf.

One of the things that few people knew was that during that entire time he was an OhioHSAA registered basketball official from the late 1940's until retired from coaching. In fact he was a charter member (1948) of the Trumbull County Basketball Officials Association in Warren, Ohio, and I have been a member of that association since 1971. He stopped officiating when he started coaching but always attended every TCBOA meeting even though he was coaching.

Did he get any TF's? Yes, he did from time to time. But, one could say that goes with the territory. But all of the TF's I can remember him getting were from kicking the bleacher bench with the heel of his shoe, when he thought an official did not get a call right. I can't remember him getting a TF for yelling at an official. He required players were expected to act as gentlemen on the court at all times. A player would get yanked from the game if he looked at an official the wrong way. If a player received a TF, he could expect to sit for at least a full quarter. And when I played the OhioHSAA did not have the current penalties for ejections that it now has, but if a player was ejected he didn't play the next game. He ran a tight ship.

He told us that the best officials were assigned to our games by the league and he would not tolerate disrespectful unsportsmanlike conduct toward officials and opponents. He also told us that an official never lost or one a game for a team because he never saw an official miss a layup or a free throw or a jump shot for that matter, nor commit a foul or a violation, nor throw the ball away.

When asked why he was a basketball official, his answer was: "If you do not know the rules of the game, then how can you teach the game or play the game."

That statement has always rung true because at least twice a season, a full hour of practice would be devoted to guarding and screening (what everybody refers to block/charge). This practice was a combined practice for the FR, JV, and VAR teams. If one were observing the practice from the stands, one would have thought that he was watching a basketball officials camp teach how to officiate block/charge. Every part of the guarding and screening rules were taught. So I can honestly say that the guarding and screening rules have not changed in over 45 years.

When I graduated from H.S. many thought that I would be the most likely of all his players to become a coach, but I chose a career in engineering and became a basketball official instead.

MTD, Sr.

[26 Year Gap]

Nice story MTD.

My game on Tuesday that had no bonus FTs the whole game, had the V coach who was a former official. His players were very respectful. Never heard anything from him other than time out requests. The H coach, who I had in a game last year, was also very respectful. Last year, I had teed up two of his players in the first half. He asked the cause, and said he would take care of things. The second half, he seemed to have a different team out there. They played basketball, staged a comeback and won the game.

btw My partner told me about the V coach being a former official. He never mentioned it.

[Raymond]

^^^MTD

Was Ernie Shavers around when you grew up?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

^^^MTD

Was Ernie Shavers around when you grew up?

Yes. He played grew up in Leavittsburg Township near Warren, Ohio. He played football for Leavittsburg H.S., graduating from there in 1963, I think. Leavittsburg H.S. (now LaBrae H.S., Leavttsburg Local School Dist. and Braceville (Braceville H.S.) Local School Dist. merged after I graduated from H.S.) and now LaBrea H.S. are still in the same league my H.S. is in.

I met him just once at the annual Youngstown Italian-American Banquet in 1978. When he made a fist, it was like having a brick on the end of his arm. There was a reason that Ali and Foreman said he was the hardest hitting heavyweight they had ever fought and it was those bricks on the end of his arms. LOL

MTD, Sr.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

For those of you who do not know, I graduated from H.S. in 1969. .....MTD, Sr.

OK - now it's official. I'm older than you (probably). I graduated from college in 1969, although I was only 20. I graduated HS in '65 (1965, not 1865) when I was 16. I was the youngest in a graduating class of 712. I started HS when I was 12.

BTW, MTD - who are the most notable graduates (in the world of sport) from your HS (any year). Mine would be Jerry Colangelo and Jim Bouton.

[Terrance "TJ"]

If I had coached (which was a plan a few years back), my players would have been instructed towards being respectful towards the officials. I grew up with my dad being a football ref. My first season competing in any sport, I was taught to not disrespect the refs. Since I didn't go on to become a coach, I naturally went to ref'ing. I absolutely love the game of basketball and, as stated above, grew up with a ref as a dad.

Now, I'll echo those saying this, it all depends on that one individual. They can be good at both, one or the other, or neither. My association has a football coach, a school's AD, a volleyball coach (our president), a track coach, and several teachers that officiate. All are respected and experienced in officiating.

[26 Year Gap]

What I have found is that if the coach is respectful, most, if not all of the players are respectful. If the coach is a whiner, the players for the most part are whiners. If the coach is a belligerent, then some of the players are as well. And some are still at the whiny stage.

My game tonight features a coach in the middle category. I have never seen the other coach. I will tell you that the coach never is quoted in the paper whining about calls. His players played hard. His players didn't execute, but would improve in those areas with time. His players did not convert free throws. The other team made some plays.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

OK - now it's official. I'm older than you (probably). I graduated from college in 1969, although I was only 20. I graduated HS in '65 (1965, not 1865) when I was 16. I was the youngest in a graduating class of 712. I started HS when I was 12.

BTW, MTD - who are the most notable graduates (in the world of sport) from your HS (any year). Mine would be Jerry Colangelo and Jim Bouton.

Mark:

None.

MTD, Sr.