Centerville basketball sees end of era

Knowing your X’s and O’s is a good start. But there’s a lot more to coaching.

Keeping parents, boosters and administration on your good side is just as important as scouting your next opponent.

Jim Staley put up impressive winning numbers as the Centerville High School boys varsity basketball coach for the last 21 seasons. But in the end, he couldn’t win over those who held his coaching fate.

Staley’s plan was to retire from teaching in June and continue coaching the Elks. There was just one hiccup: Upon retiring, all coaching positions must be advertised and posted as open.

No problem, he guessed. With 540 career wins, regaining his position would be a formality.

Guess again.

Staley’s dismissal — he said he was told not to reapply — wasn’t the area’s first under such unusual circumstances. That would go to former Springfield South coach Wayne Wiseman.

For all of Staley’s coaching milestones — and there are many — Wiseman can match him.

In his 23 seasons the Wildcats had a 20-0 regular season, were Associated Press poll champs, had multiple leagues titles and stuffed college rosters with players. Wiseman’s career record was 441-210 and he had one losing season, his first.

That wasn’t good enough to save Wiseman’s coaching job, either. Unlike Staley, he retained his coaching position for one season after his retirement from teaching. Then, South administrators just said no following the 1985-86 season.

“I think I know how (Staley) feels,” Wiseman said. “There’s not a whole lot of allegiance to anyone today. It’s as simple as that.”

Staley’s departure from coaching — and Wiseman’s long before — stirs the empathy pot. You feel for a coach who has put that much time and effort into raising a program to respectability and beyond. You know what it means for a program to say thanks, but another direction is needed.

This is the rare instance that a window of opportunity was open. Centerville legally acted on that, no matter how awkward.

The reaction was predictable. Staley supporters rally around his long-term achievements and influence. Those not in his camp insist the program has passed him by and a fresh start is best.

“I was under the assumption that he wasn’t going to reapply,” said Brook Cupps, who inherits the Elks program after an impressive run as Graham’s head coach the last 12 seasons.

“When I heard that he was, I thought about withdrawing my name. In hindsight, I’m glad that I gave myself and my family the chance and opportunity that we’re going to have now.”

Rob Dement is pulling double duty, wrapping up as the West Carrollton athletic director after being named Centerville’s new AD earlier this year. Ironically, he landed that job after longtime Elks AD/football coach Ron Ullery retired from teaching at the first of the year. Ullery regained his coaching position.

“It is a difficult situation,” Dement said. “Brook had such a great upside. I think he’s going to be able to take what has been done and continue to build on it.”

By all accounts, Cupps is the right guy for one of the best coaching and teaching positions — he’ll teach math — that the area has to offer. However the Elks fare, a big program assist goes to Staley.

Wiseman summed that up best.

“I feel for (Staley),” he said. “You don’t win 500 games if you’re a damn dud.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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