A conversation with the "Coach"...

This evening I tagged along with my better half, Sue Crain, to a real estate agent's function at the the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. At these functions, I usually just sit around and listen to everyone yak about the real estate business in the state of Arizona...or should I say the lack of it.

Luckily, I was setting next to a gentleman, who the rest of the people at the table affectionately referred to as "Coach". Turns out, it was none other than Dick McConnell, the winningest high school basketball coach in Arizona. Now, at 79, Dick and his wife, Clarine, dabble in the real estate market and, fortunately for me, the McConnell's were present at the function...and it wasn't long before I had Coach McConnell cornered and we starting "rapping" about basketball.

The stories were endless as we discussed players, teams and coaches from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, all the way up to the present time. It was an enjoyable hour. McConnell owns the state record in wins with 714,  most of those coming in his 38 years as the boys' head basketball coach at Tucson Sahuaro High School. McConnell has mentored many young men who have gone on to coach basketball in Arizona, like Santa Rita's Jim Ferguson and Ironwood Ridge's Brian Peobody. His son, Rick, is currently the head boys' basketball coach at Mesa Dobson High School and his grandson, Mickey McConnell, is a junior guard at Saint Mary's College. Mickey broke and then established the career-scoring record (1,650 points) and career-assists record (545) at Dobson High School a few years ago.

One of Coach McConnell's comments, during our table-talk, had me shaking my head. McConnell said, "I had some chances to coach college ball, but you know, all I ever wanted to do was be a high school basketball coach." His decision was a good one. Just ask Peobody or Ferguson, they'd second that. McConnell has been away from coaching for three years now and he misses it. "We do keep busy...seems like we're always at a basketball game somewhere." McConnell said a lot of his coaching buddies stopped coaching too early in their lives. Coach McConnell certainly didn't. He kept it up well into his 70s. That decision alone, gave many more young players a chance to learn from the best: Coach Dick McConnell.