DANVILLE — Zach Patterson has been doing a lot of traveling in his coaching career.
But Patterson is back home for his latest stop.
The former Danville girls basketball coach and Chrisman boys basketball coach took the boys coaching job at Schlarman Academy last week.
“It was unexpected when it came about,” Patterson said. “I appreciate (Former Schlarman boys coach John Spezia). He mentored me to apply for the job and talk to (Schlarman AD) Erin Forsyth and she said I can take over the reigns of the program.
“As a head varsity coach, you want control of the whole program and when she told me that, it was great. I believe coaches don’t stay for 20years anymore because parents might want to control more of the lower levels. From first grade to high school, if you are involved is great. I think relationship building is huge and people know who you are and adjust to your system and it will be huge and that was a big part of why I took the job.”
Patterson will take over for Zach Davis, who left Schlarman to take an assistant coaching job at Danville Area Community College. Davis was the fourth straight coach that lasted only one year with the Hilltoppers.
“I think it has been five coaches in five years. Someone sets an expectation like Coach (Roger) Beals at Chrisman and they want you to follow that I know there have been some rich history in the past. I know coaches (Gene) Gourley, (Gary) Tidwell and Spezia have all had success there and the opportunity is enticing as far as getting everything going again.”
Patterson said that trend should end with him living in Danville and the chance to share his lifetime of experience with basketball.
“(Former Salt Fork basketball coach) Aaron Hird told me that you take a job that is great for your family,” Patterson said. “I would love to stay at a place for 20 years. Right now, I want everyone to be successful and grow the youth.
“I grew up in a gym. My father was a coach when I was three and I saw Keon Clark and the Danville Lutheran kids. For five days a week, I saw my dad coach and I have always been influenced by basketball. That has been my stress relief and you lose your identity if you are not in it. You want to enjoy your life and I want to be involved in the sport and raise my child in the same environment I was raised in.”
With Schlarman needing numbers in sports to go on, Patterson is looking toward the football team’s season as a chance to boost numbers.
“Hopefully, they can have numbers for the football team because that means more athletes for us,” Patterson said. “The biggest thing you want is them to buy in and build relationships. You look for captains. People want respect and the best way is to show up every day. Hopefully we have some open gyms and contact days. I am coaching the Gold and Blue and I am excited for the opportunity and have that enjoyment of coaching.
Patterson has the vote of Forsyth, who said Patterson was her first hire since getting the AD job earlier this month.
“We will have separate coaches in the junior high level but I am empowering coach Patterson to build the program,” Forsyth said. “It starts in a much younger age that high school and we want to do more camps and intramurals and more involvement and encouraging kids to play and get skills so when they reach high school, they are developed and well-trained and ready to go. I am excited because he has the experience and personality for it. I am excited for the future.”
Patterson’s hiring means that both city high schools will have new head basketball coaches as David Gouard was named Danville’s boys basketball coach last month.
“I have great respect for David and we talked before and we have some similar concepts,” Patterson said. “He played for Coach Spezia and I wish him all the respect in the world. We are competing in 1A and the Big 12 is a tough conference.”
Like Gouard, Patterson is going to keep his eye on the veterans of the team along with any new players coming up.
“I have high expectations and you want to go in with a championship mindset,” Patterson said. “I have met three players in Schlarman: Noah Fowler, Peyton Kuemmerle and Mark Lehmann and I have high expectations for them. Hopefully, we can keep the assistant coach, Jason Craig, because he played a Schlarman and went through the system and that brings a lot to the program. You think about the history of Schlarman with the Topper Classic and some of the great players like Sergio McClain and Ronnie Fields. I hope there will be more moments in the future.”
Patterson knows change will not be overnight, but he will be working hard to make sure that the Hilltoppers will be a team to hear from in the future.
“Success may not happen in Year 1 or Year 2, but I would love to stay for years 5-6,” Patterson said. “Communication with players and parents are going to be very huge. It is going to take time from the parents and teachers and hopefully they will help out with Schlarman basketball. It goes back to showing up and being blue collar and I am lucky to be called the coach of the Hilltoppers.”