[CaddyRich]

Judging by the total lack of buzz in town about this, I don't expect a lot of replies...but I wish him well.



West Side's Boyd to coach at Michigan City



BY TIMES STAFF | Tuesday, May 12, 2009 |

West Side boys basketball coach John Boyd is heading to Michigan City.

The Cougars' coach for the last nine seasons will become the next coach at Michigan City as Boyd was unanimously approved to fill the position vacated by Bob Buscher at Tuesday's Michigan City Area Schools board meeting.

Boyd also will be an administrative assistant for student services at Michigan City for the 2009-10 school year, according to a release handed out at the MCAS school board meeting.

Boyd was 147-69 with the Cougars, whom he led to the 2002 Class 4A state title.

For the latest sports news, visit nwi.com/sports.

[lbl]

Judging by the total lack of buzz in town about this, I don't expect a lot of replies...but I wish him well.



West Side's Boyd to coach at Michigan City



BY TIMES STAFF | Tuesday, May 12, 2009 |

West Side boys basketball coach John Boyd is heading to Michigan City.

The Cougars' coach for the last nine seasons will become the next coach at Michigan City as Boyd was unanimously approved to fill the position vacated by Bob Buscher at Tuesday's Michigan City Area Schools board meeting.

Boyd also will be an administrative assistant for student services at Michigan City for the 2009-10 school year, according to a release handed out at the MCAS school board meeting.

Boyd was 147-69 with the Cougars, whom he led to the 2002 Class 4A state title.

For the latest sports news, visit nwi.com/sports.

Which means they hired a basketball coach, rather than a licensed administrator (again). Who is handling the administrative duties with two coaches as AA's, not AP's?

[Ang]

Well, if this is the guy I'm thinking of (I wish they had a picture of him), he is a fenominal BB coach! That being said, the Wolves have an opportunity for good leadership and the ability to start earning some trophies!

[lbl]

Well, if this is the guy I'm thinking of (I wish they had a picture of him), he is a fenominal BB coach! That being said, the Wolves have an opportunity for good leadership and the ability to start earning some trophies!

Ang,
No offense (or defense-I kill myself), but I hope they learn how to spell "phenomenal" first. I think you were kidding...

I hope he can teach them to read at a tenth grade level, also...

[Ang]

We have an insurance client called Fenominal Towing and because of them, I consistently spell phenominal incorrectly--don't even realize I've done it.

My apologies.

[Michelle]

We have an insurance client called Fenominal Towing and because of them, I consistently spell phenominal incorrectly--don't even realize I've done it.

My apologies.

Aww, I liked it. You were just spelling it fonetically

[CaddyRich]

We have an insurance client called Fenominal Towing and because of them, I consistently spell phenominal incorrectly--don't even realize I've done it.

My apologies.

Not to worry, Ang...many years ago, the MC phone book also had a listing for Indiana Bell under Fone Company...

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=23178

West Side's Boyd Takes Over
Michigan City Boys Basketball

Adam Parkhouse
Staff Writer

Michigan City High School is in a desperate search for its first-ever sectional championship in boys basketball.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, it hired a man that has two regional titles and a state championship under his belt.

John Boyd, the boys basketball coach for 10 years at Gary West Side, comes to Michigan City with some good memories from the Wolves Den and a terrific career record. A press conference will be held today at 9:30 a.m. at MCHS formally announcing Boyd's hiring. Boyd's hiring was unanimously accepted as part of Tuesday's consent agenda with no specific discussion on Boyd.

Boyd ran up a 147-69 record in his 10 years at West Side and won the 2002 Class 4A state championship. On their way to that state title, the Cougars won the Michigan City Regional, beat South Bend Washington, 70-62, in the championship game and Valparaiso, 42-39, in the morning semifinal.

Three years later, Boyd's squad returned to the Wolves Den in 2005, this time as the underdog. Still, the Cougars made their way through the regional, beating Concord, 66-55, in the semifinal and Valpo, 57-43, in the championship. That year, West Side's run ended at semi-state.

Boyd takes over a program at City that went through a catastrophic 2008-09 season. The Wolves finished 3-18 and lost their last 17 consecutive games. The season concluded with coach Bob Buscher's resignation.

Moreover, the Wolves have only had one winning season in the last eight since the departure of coach Bob "Bear" Falls, compiling a paltry 53-118 record during that span for a winning percentage of .310. Falls is now the school's athletic director. During Falls' six-year run as coach, the Wolves never had a losing season.

During the Wolves' 14 seasons since the consolidation, they've been bounced in the sectional's first round an incredible nine times.

Boyd will be City's fifth coach since the consolidation. Falls compiled an 81-47 record during his tenure; interim coach Steve Kahn posted a 5-17 mark in his only season; Bennie Edwards was 34-74 in his five seasons; and Bob Buscher went 14-28 in his two seasons. The Wolves have played in exactly 300 games since the consolidation, winning 134 for a winning percentage of .447.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/highschool...0513.highschool

Boyd eager for challenge at MC
* Leaving West Side was a difficult choice, but new opportunity excites coach.
May 13, 2009By Brian Hedger, Post-Tribune correspondent
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MICHIGAN CITY -- The hardest part for John Boyd was looking his West Side players in the face and confirming that what was reported was true.

Boyd officially became Michigan City's boys basketball coach and a high school administrator Tuesday night at a school board meeting that he didn't attend.

Michigan City athletic director Bob "Bear" Falls did attend, but declined several opportunities to comment until a 9:30 a.m. press conference at the high school today.

The meeting that Boyd couldn't miss, though, was the one he had with his Cougars. That one made him cry.

He gathered his team, told them the news and thanked them for their dedication on the court and off. Then, Boyd sought out a corner of the locker room where he could be by himself. There, the tears fell.

"I've had two of my (former) players pass away and six or seven of my (former students) pass away, and aside from losing somebody, that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life," Boyd said. "I had to tell them their coach was moving on to try and become a person who will get the job done in another community. It was a very heartbreaking experience."

In 10 seasons as West Side's head coach, Boyd won a Class 4A state championship and amassed an impressive 147-69 record. Last season, West Side went 16-6 and lost to Munster in the championship game of the Class 4A East Chicago Central Sectional.

By his count, Boyd has also helped 50 of his players get either full scholarships to play college basketball or some grant money to play and attend college. During his tenure at West Side, where he was an English teacher, Boyd wore the fact he was from Gary on his sleeve.

He wasn't afraid to be outspoken, challenged all comers and took his teams on barnstorming tours that usually included at least one trip to another state. He always had the goal of winning another state title in the minds of his players, but also demanded a lot of them off the court.

Seeing that effort end in Gary is where the sadness comes into play. Yet, as sad as he is, Boyd said he is equally excited about the challenge at Michigan City.

It's an area with a rich basketball tradition -- three Mr. Basketballs have called Michigan City home -- but it's also an area that's been starved for good basketball for quite some time. Boyd is approaching it with his usual bravado.

"They tell me that I've got a four-year rebuilding project there," Boyd said, "but obviously they haven't met Coach Boyd yet. Whenever a community works together, that's when you get things done. That's what we did here at West Side, and that's what we'll do in Michigan City."

Boyd plans to move to Michigan City, a place he said he never would've imagined going until this opportunity arose.

"My belief system and my faith are still strong," he said. "If God had wanted me to stay, then this Michigan City thing would not have come up. I had no intentions of leaving West Side, but I'm also an advocate for change and it's something that's burning inside of me."

He likes the demographics in Michigan City, as well.

"It's a diverse community," Boyd said. "The belief and confidence they showed in me, from the athletic director to the principal to the superintendent, I knew this was a community that would embrace me. Now, I want to give back to them."

He also wants it known that he's still a teacher at heart, despite taking an administrative position.

"Administrators are teachers," Boyd said. "I'm a teacher first and always will be. That's really all I want to be known as -- somebody who has challenged children to be better, no matter what the circumstances."

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/200...5b5000e042c.txt

West Side's Boyd officially takes over at Michigan City

* Story
* Discussion

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BY STEVE HANLON
steve.hanlon@nwi.com, (219) 933-4198 | Wednesday, May 13, 2009 | (No comments posted.)

MICHIGAN CITY | John Boyd e-mailed Bob "Bear" Falls in December. The boys basketball coach at West Side wanted the athletic director at Michigan City to know one thing: If Wolves coach Bob Buscher stepped down Boyd would be very interested in taking over the Duneland Athletic Conference program.

On Tuesday night the Michigan City Area Schools board unanimously approved the hiring of Boyd as Administrative Assistant for Student Services and head boys basketball coach.

Michigan City was 3-18 last season and has never won a sectional championship since Rogers and Elston high schools consolidated prior to the 1995-96 season.

"When John Boyd's involved it is not a rebuilding year," Boyd said by phone on Tuesday night. "I'm going there to win and we're going to win right away. It's not two years or three years or four years. We're going to start winning right from the start."

Boyd was 147-69 in nine seasons at his alma mater, which included winning the 2002 Class 4A state championship.

Falls refused to take any questions, saying he would speak at a news conference today at Michigan City High School.

Boyd, however, was ready to talk about his new program and community. The longtime Gary resident will be moving to Michigan City.

"It's a challenge," he said. "But the community, the administration and the players are excited to have John Boyd there. That's nice to see. All I have to change is the mindset, the way people think. If you don't believe you will win, you won't. I'm not going there to lose.

"And we won't."

Boyd ruffled several feathers in 2005 after his Cougars beat Valparaiso in the Michigan City Regional to advance to the semistate. Boyd told The Times then why the DAC was failing.

"They've never played a team like ours," Boyd said of DAC schools. "I've said it time and time again. The public wants Merrillville and West Side to play, Valpo and West Side to play. West Side is becoming the premier program in the Region."

Then he added, "You can keep running from us, but we'll meet you here."

Now, the DAC will get a double dose of Boyd in the double-round robin schedule. And former Crown Point coach Tom Johnson, who was a finalist at City, knows what everyone is getting into.

"When John said that, it made me mad and all the other Duneland coaches," Johnson said. "But you know what. He has the ring that none of the rest of us have. John's bravado is what Michigan City needs right now and I wish him the best."

Boyd said he will tell the full story of the e-mail he sent to Falls in December at today's news conference.

BOYS BASKETBALL


A different story
In the last nine seasons, West Side has been a state power under John Boyd, while Michigan City has struggled.

Season West Side Michigan City
2008-09 16-6 3-18
2007-08 18-5 11-10
2006-07 14-7 8-13
2005-06 7-14* 9-12
2004-05 19-5** 6-16
2003-04 12-7 2-19
2002-03 7-12 9-13
2001-02 23-4*** 5-17
2000-01 16-4 16-5

* Lost five games due to forfeits
** Won regional
*** Won Class 4A state title

[Ang]

Not to worry, Ang...many years ago, the MC phone book also had a listing for Indiana Bell under Fone Company...

I remember that!! OMG, me and my girlfriends had so many laughs over that!

[Ang]

Yup, Yup, Yup...

I believe this IS the guy I'm thinking of.

That being said...

THIS IS SO COOL!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO BREAK OUT MY WOLVES-WEAR AND TAKE MY BUTT TO SOME BB GAMES!!!

This guy is gonna knock our socks off!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=23324

Let's Give The Coach A Chance
Money On Mondays

Nick Dettmann
The News-Dispatch

You've heard me say time and time again, coaches at Michigan City High School need to have control of the feeder system, and they also have to be given time to build a program.

I hope John Boyd is allotted the chance.

Like Adam said Sunday, he's got the credentials to be successful, but will he be given enough time to utilize those credentials? That will be the question for as long as he is here.

I commend the selection committee for pulling Boyd out of his hometown in Gary and bringing him here to Michigan City. Maybe someone with his background could finally say something to the kids that the administration is serious about bringing a good coach onboard and want to win, and maybe they'll respond better than they have in previous regimes.

Adam Harmon is just itching to have that breakout season as revealed with his 29-point performance at last month's United Way All-Star game.

We've seen it before so many times. When coaches get the time to build a foundation for a program, the program is more successful than not. I believe Boyd can be successful, but like I said, only if he's given the chance to be.

Look at some of the other programs inside the walls at MCHS.

Dan Jenkins with swimming and Tom Vasbinder with wrestling are among the coaches there who run the youth program which is allowing them to build a strong foundation. Norm Bruemmer in the tennis? The same thing. And these are just some of the examples. If Gillian Kieft sticks with the City gymnastics program, look for that to team to rise quickly because she owns Platinum Gymnastics, which is where a lot of the girls work out.

Michigan City, give Boyd the chance he deserves. He's proven he can be successful.

If you're an old-time hockey fan, you've got to love a Red Wings-Blackhawks matchup in the playoffs. I do. Not only that. A berth to the Stanley Cup Finals is on the line.

For the first time in more than a decade, two of the Original Six teams of NHL history will meet for a shot to play for Lord Stanley's coveted cup. And since hockey has taken a back seat in the minds of many American sports fans lately, here's a refresher. The Original Six are: Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Montreal and the New York Rangers.

Mr. Parkhouse believes the Blackhawks will win the best-of-seven series in three games and

in the fourth the Red Wings will quit. Nice thinking, but not possible. It's going to be a great series. The savvy veterans who have been there before in the Red Wings versus the young guns of the Blackhawks.

Anticipate a high-scoring, yet a great goaltending series. Red Wings in six.

And for the record, since my Stanley Cup pick flopped (the Bruins), I'll pick Pittsburgh to beat Carolina and setup a rematch of last year's Cup finals between the Penguins and Red Wings.

Let's continue to keep Courtney Brinckman in our thoughts and prayers.

It was great to hear she is in good spirits and is improving with each passing day. After learning how close she was to dying and to see how far she's come is a great sign.

Brinckman is a special kid, and I couldn't be happier not as a reporter, but just as another human being caring for another as she gets better from such a scary event. Let's hope her life can return to normal.

Contact sports writer Nick Dettmann at ndettmann@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/highschool...0517.highschool

JEFFREY D. NICHOLLS/POST-TRIBUNE

* New Michigan City coach felt spurned, shunned by his hometown of Gary.
May 17, 2009By David Robb, Post-Tribune staff writer
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In the end, John Boyd just wanted his city to love him as much as he loved it.

There were a host of reasons the former West Side coach left his city and alma mater for Michigan City. Parents, he says, pulled their kids out of his program. "Street agents" he says steered kids away from his program. A controversial city policy requiring every head coach in Gary to reapply for his or her job on an annual basis.

But mostly, Boyd felt Michigan City would appreciate him more than Gary did.

"It's just like the girlfriend that doesn't give back to you," he said. "You love them to death and you're wondering why I can never get that love back. And then someone comes along and sweeps you off your feet and gives you the type of love you can't turn your back on. They treat you the way you always imagined in your dreams that you could be treated.

"And that's what Michigan City did."

Gary will always be Boyd's hometown. And West Side will always be his alma mater, the place he compiled a 147-69 record in 10 seasons, the program he led to its first state title in 2002 and Gary's third overall.

Soon, however, Gary will no longer be his home. Boyd intends to move to Michigan City and the next chapter of his coaching career. It's a move few saw coming. But Boyd says his departure from one of the area's premier programs to one still searching for its first sectional title had less to do with a raise -- not to mention trading in his teaching job for one as an administrator -- and more to do with respect.

Or lack thereof.

"Only three (boys basketball coaches) have won state (titles) in Gary," Boyd said. "Ron Heflin. Legend. Bo Mallard. Legend. John Boyd. Just some guy. I never coached at Roosevelt, so therefore I was a pariah. Nobody could ever say John Boyd doesn't love Gary. But it seemed to me a lot of times that I was looked at as somebody that was not for Gary, the way people talked negative about me."

That unsettling feeling is part of the reason Boyd applied for the Indianapolis Pike job last year, a job for which he was a finalist. It's part of the reason he quietly sent Michigan City athletic director Bob "Bear" Falls an e-mail during last season expressing interest in coaching the Wolves. While he didn't tell anyone he had e-mailed Falls, Boyd said he never intended to undermine then-Michigan City coach Bob Buscher, who resigned in March to move closer to his family in the Indianapolis area.

"I said (in the e-mail), 'If an opportunity at Michigan City opened up, I would be interested,'" Boyd said.

With Wirt's closing prompting the formulation of a committee to interview all Gary head coaches, athletic directors and principals reapplying for their jobs -- as well as select external candidates -- Boyd was concerned the process would get bogged down.

He was worried the committee wouldn't have coaches in place by June, when Indiana basketball coaches can begin offseason work with their teams.

"They still haven't done any interviews yet," Boyd said. "All the coaches in Gary are in limbo right now. You mean to tell me (West Side girls basketball) coach (Rod) Fisher is not going to be able to coach his kids in June?

That coaches like himself and Fisher, who is 392-102 in 25 years at West Side, have to reapply for their jobs annually irked Boyd.

"Why is Rodney Fisher turning in a resume and cover letter?" Boyd said. "Why is he put on the same level as the coach from Wirt, the coach from Lew Wallace? Rodney Fisher is an icon in the state of Indiana, and he's fired right now."

While he was technically fired at the end of every school year, Boyd always got his job back. However, he didn't always get his players back. Some, Boyd said, such as talented point guard Phillip Williams, were removed by disgruntled parents.

"I had parents transfer their kids," Boyd said. "You've got street agents that are destroying Gary. They've got parents hating me for no reason other than the fact I don't want my kid to play on (their) AAU team."

Boyd believes that's the reason Lew Wallace standout Branden Dawson didn't attend West Side.

"Branden Dawson's entire family went to West Side," Boyd said. "But because I'm the coach ... It was those types of things that just confused the heck out of me. I don't know what I was doing wrong."

All Boyd knows is that as hard as it was for him to say goodbye to his players -- "none of my kids are just players to me," he said, "we have lifelong relationships" -- he's confident he made the right choice in leaving his hometown and alma mater for Michigan City.

"My mom taught me how to do one thing very well -- she taught me how to love. And that's what Michigan City is going to get; they're going to get a guy who's going to love unconditionally."

And Boyd believes Michigan City will love him just the same.

Contact David Robb at 648-3122, drobb@post-trib.com or visit his blog at blogs.post-trib.com/robb.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39855.36

All The Right Things
Home Cookin'

Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

John Boyd said all the right things at his introductory press conference Wednesday.

Standing in the Wolves Den's Heritage Hall, surrounded by artifacts of the city's illustrious sports past, Boyd used words like "believe" and "dream" when speaking about his hiring as Michigan City's new boys basketball coach.

Those are nice ideas, but the bottom line is this is gonna take a lot of hard work. It took a long time for the program to get to this point, and it will take a while to get it back to where it needs to be.

Boyd is a good coach. I've talked to reporters at other papers that regularly covered Boyd, and they're all convinced this is a good move for City. The résumé speaks for itself: A 147-69 record in 10 seasons at Gary West Side including two regional titles and the 2002 Class 4A state championship.

He's coached Division I players, Indiana All-Stars, and is well-respected for his ability to coach a multi-dimensional basketball team that can beat you in a variety of ways.

Given what I know about the list of candidates, Boyd was the best choice and I commend MCAS for giving Boyd the opportunity.

That said, I really hope that Boyd knows what he's getting himself into. In my opinion, he's not inheriting a program that's ready to win.

Next year's team will be young and small. Speaking generally, that's not a great winning combination.

Moreover, he enters next season riding a 17-game losing streak. The pressure will be on from Game 1 to get into the win column, as if having the pressure of being a new coach wasn't going to be enough on its own.

But I can see at least two reasons for optimism.

First, I feel like soon-to-be senior Adam Harmon could be primed for a huge season. If his performance at Hoops Away for The United Way was any indication, Harmon could really benefit from an uptempo style, which Boyd said he'd employ when possible.

Second, the one positive byproduct from last season is that freshmen guards Carlos McCormick and Jabbar Washington got plenty of on-the-job training and should continue to become a force as sophomores.

Unfortunately, that's about where the positives end, and that's where Boyd will have to come in.

I call next season a rebuilding year, but Boyd doesn't want to use that word. He expects to win immediately.

That's all well and good, and I hope he achieves his objective. But in order to consistently achieve what Boyd and City wants, a strong feeder system must be developed. Boyd is well aware of this and vows to build up the lower levels immediately.

At one point in Wednesday's press conference, Boyd said that finding solutions to problems is what he does.

Let's hope that's true, because that's what City needs. If there's one thing City's basketball program isn't short on, it's problems. And those problems need good, self-sustaining solutions.

Belief and dreams only get you so far.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Ang]

Adam confirmed for me that this IS the guy I was thinking about. And I'll bet Bear was dancin' on his desk when this deal went down. Actually, this guy makes me think of a "Little Bear" and I am confident that Boyd will run his program to the caliber (and better) that Bear ran his.

Excellent move for the Wolves BB Program. I'm envisioning (at least) a sectional trophy in the Wolves Den next season......

[Southsider2k12]

Adam confirmed for me that this IS the guy I was thinking about. And I'll bet Bear was dancin' on his desk when this deal went down. Actually, this guy makes me think of a "Little Bear" and I am confident that Boyd will run his program to the caliber (and better) that Bear ran his.

Excellent move for the Wolves BB Program. I'm envisioning (at least) a sectional trophy in the Wolves Den next season......

Not next year, but soon is possible. Right now the team coming in has no height, even less than a very small team last year. Unless there is a big man coming in that I don't know about, or someone who didn't play who is going to be willing to do so now, this will be a very small team. What they do have going for them is some excellent guard play. They might have the best defensive backcourt in the whole DAC. What they need to work on is their outside shooting.

[Ang]

Didn't any one ever tell you that dynamite comes in little packages?

[Southsider2k12]

http://blogs.post-trib.com/robb/2009/05/mo...ove_to_mic.html

More on John Boyd's move to Michigan City
By
David Robb
on May 19, 2009 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Despite the nonconference scheduling limitations presented by the DAC's double round-robin, John Boyd still intends to look for out-of-area games. At West Side, where he had only three conference games, that was out of necessity. At Michigan City, where he will have 14, it will be out of choice.

"You have to get out and experience other environments," Boyd said. "The state championship is located in southern Indiana. There's a different style of basketball played in southern Indiana than in northern Indiana."

Boyd also intends to schedule as many Sectional 1 opponents as possible, and didn't rule out the possibility of playing West Side.

"Just playing the Munsters, the East Chicagos, the Gary West Sides, that's a start," Boyd said. "That would challenge and prepare you. It's very important we get Sectional 1 opponents on our schedule. I think that's what gave Munster confidence (last season). We cannot allow Sectional 1 to beat us (in the regional)."

Boyd also knows he cannot allow chemistry issues to undermine his efforts to turn around a program that is 53-118 over the past eight years. During last year's 3-18 season, there were alleged conflicts between the Michigan City players and coaching staff.

"I don't have problems," Boyd said. "Whatever issues there were, we're going to discuss with the young men who decide they want to try to learn this game the right way."

Boyd doesn't listen to those who suggest it will take time to turn around such a downtrodden program. He expects to win right away.

"Michigan City hired me to come in and win," Boyd said. "I think people forget, (the) Michigan City (community) had three Mr. Basketballs. There's talent there. There's a lot of talent there."

[lbl]

"Michigan City hired me to come in and win," Boyd said. "I think people forget, (the) Michigan City (community) had three Mr. Basketballs. There's talent there. There's a lot of talent there."


Wasn't he hired to be an administrative assistant, as well? I hope he helps test scores and character education, too!

Remember, there are 1,988 kids (approx.) who won't be sitting on that bench that deserve a fair shot at an education. Now, there are three licensed administrators (one of which is the Principal who has many other things to do) to handle the burden of effective instruction, data disaggregation, school improvement, and staff management. Go Wolves!