Legendary former Alter coach Petrocelli on his friend, protege winning state title: ‘It means the world to me’

The old coach and the new coach embraced. Alter had just defeated Zanesville Maysville 68-54 to win the Division II state title. The meeting of the coaches was about far more than simple congratulations for a job well done.

“It means the world to me,” said Petrocelli, who is 86. “I always feel like a surrogate father or uncle to him at least. He’s a good friend, and just like a son, actually. This is one of the happiest moments that I’ve had in years and years.”

Their relationship began 30 years ago thanks to Pete Gillen and Skip Prosser. Coulter worked camps for Gillen and filled a volunteer assistant role for a season, but he wanted to be a high school coach. Gillen was leaving Xavier as head coach for the same job at Providence, and Prosser was returning to Xavier to replace Gillen. Both of them called Petrocelli and recommended Coulter as an assistant coach.

Coulter met Petrocelli at a Fridays restaurant in Dayton with a packet of information about himself. Petrocelli glanced at it for a few seconds then began to question Coulter about why he wanted to be a high school coach.

“I guess he liked my answers,” Coulter said. “I never thought I was hired until the second open gym. I asked him, ‘Coach, I’m just wondering, you’re asking me to go to open gyms. Am I hired or are you just still considering me? And he said, ‘Well, why would I ask you to come to open gyms if I didn’t hire you?’”

Coulter assisted Petrocelli from 1994-1997 and 2002-2005. He was head coach at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and New Richmond in between and after. He was with the Knights for two final fours but missed the state titles in 1999 and 2001.

By 2012 Coulter thought his coaching days were over. But Petrocelli asked him to come back to Alter, and Coulter’s wife, Carol Ann, said if he wants you to come back you should go. The Knights went to the ninth final four of Petrocelli’s 50-year, 831-win career in 2013. And then he retired. He wanted Coulter to be next despite the stresses of the job.

Coulter, again at the urging of Carol Ann, was the last of many to apply for the Alter job. Because he lives 60 miles away, he thought it would be too hard on his family.

“I’m sitting on a couch, and she says to me, ‘You need to apply,’” Coulter said. “And I said, ‘Why?’ And she goes, ‘Because I don’t want you, 10 years from now, saying you could be the head coach at Alter.’”

Coulter’s 2020 team had legitimate state title aspirations, but the tournament was canceled because of the Covid pandemic. His 2022 team lost in the state semifinals. Finally, on Sunday, Coulter, as head coach, won the program’s fourth state title.

“It was a real thrill,” said Petrocelli, who was awarded the John Wooden Legacy Award on Saturday night at UD Arena. “I was probably as nervous as Eric was because I wanted them to win. This was a big game, the biggest. He did a great job, his coaches did a great job. And the kids played as well as you can play on this stage.”

Coulter hugged a lot of people after the game, but he held no one tighter than the man he calls Coach.

“I’ve always continued my relationship with Coach Petrocelli,” Coulter said. “He’s more to me than a friend even. He’s a father figure. He’s a mentor. He means so much to me.”

Long-term relationships are part of the Alter culture. Petrocelli and John Paxson, who led the Knights to Petrocelli’s first state title in 1978, and many others were at practice Friday. Coulter wants to have similar relationships with his players just as Petrocelli did.

Coulter said he got about 30 texts before the state final from former players wishing him the best. During the postgame interviews, senior Joe Brand said Coulter is a role model for the team. Coulter was moved by Brand’s words and the words of love for the program from senior Gavin Leen and junior R.J. Greer.

“I know it’s going to seem funny, but it’s not about winning,” Coulter said. “It’s about when they leave the program that they know they can count on me and they can reach out to me and that I cared about them. When you guys ask those questions, that gets me every time because I succeeded. That is the success right there.”

Coulter has done it with a different personality than Petrocelli. Coulter is more of a next-play coach on game day. Petrocelli got on his players a little more. But Coulter observed how Petrocelli, once off the court, would do anything for his players and his coaches.

During their postgame embrace Coulter thanked Petrocelli for bringing him to Alter. And Petrocelli was thankful that Coulter came to Alter, not once, but three times. And that Coulter followed him to continue the tradition he began.

“It’s honestly like having your son grow up and win a state championship,” Petrocelli said. “Because that’s what he is to me.”