One of the greatest basketball coaches of all time passed away June 7th, 2013, but most people wouldn’t have known because it wasn’t on Sportscenter or plastered over the television. But all those that were ever in the presence of Coach Charlie Coles were well aware of his passing and of the loss to the basketball community.
Coach Coles spent 45 of his 71 years of living coaching basketball at the high school and collegiate level. He had several highlights during those years as a coach none more memorable than the 86-87 season where the Central Michigan Chippewas won the regular-season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA Tournament and the 98-99 season when he took Miami-Ohio to the Sweet 16. But for Coach Coles it wasn’t about the accolades it was about the teachable moments of life, love, and basketball. This was the reason he continued to teach a theory of basketball course at Miami.
I knew several players that played for Coach Coles and all of them had nothing but great things to say about him, regardless of how much playing time they did or did not get. They all felt that he gave them a fair shake, but most importantly, that he treated them with respect and love and taught them more about themselves, life, and how to be a man. His ability to mentor far outweighed his coaching impact even though he developed two well known NBA players in Dan Majerle and Wally Szczerbiak.
His charismatic personality and always exciting postgame interviews made him the most liked coach in the NCAA. You’ll find many reporters speaking praises about Coach Coles and how they loved to interview him as well as other coaches crediting Coach Coles for the impact he had on their lives and coaching careers. His life will live on through his family, friends, and players, but his legacy expands so much further than we can ever imagine or measure. May you rest in peace Coach Charlie Coles, God Bless.
Coach Coles spent 45 of his 71 years of living coaching basketball at the high school and collegiate level. He had several highlights during those years as a coach none more memorable than the 86-87 season where the Central Michigan Chippewas won the regular-season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA Tournament and the 98-99 season when he took Miami-Ohio to the Sweet 16. But for Coach Coles it wasn’t about the accolades it was about the teachable moments of life, love, and basketball. This was the reason he continued to teach a theory of basketball course at Miami.
I knew several players that played for Coach Coles and all of them had nothing but great things to say about him, regardless of how much playing time they did or did not get. They all felt that he gave them a fair shake, but most importantly, that he treated them with respect and love and taught them more about themselves, life, and how to be a man. His ability to mentor far outweighed his coaching impact even though he developed two well known NBA players in Dan Majerle and Wally Szczerbiak.
His charismatic personality and always exciting postgame interviews made him the most liked coach in the NCAA. You’ll find many reporters speaking praises about Coach Coles and how they loved to interview him as well as other coaches crediting Coach Coles for the impact he had on their lives and coaching careers. His life will live on through his family, friends, and players, but his legacy expands so much further than we can ever imagine or measure. May you rest in peace Coach Charlie Coles, God Bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment