Coach Blane Maddox ... 20th Season at Warren Local HS qualifies for the Bob Arnzen Award ...

[pfloyd]

I was at Warren High School Tuesday night to take in Warren vs Alexander HS... as always I had the pleasure to chat with Coach Blane Maddox , he gave me some reading material the "2018 December Hooplines - OHSBCA Newsletter" ... basketball information, newsletter for coaches, award winners of the past etc. I'm reading through the magazine, ran across the "Bob Arnzen Award Winners" ...

Bob Arnzen was the legendary boys coach for Delphos St John's High School ... he was boys head basketball coach for 43 years ... when he retired he was the #2 winningest coach in Ohio High School hoops (676 wins - that now stands as #5 on the all time list) ... he was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coach Association Hall of Fame in 1995 ..

... The Bob Arnzen Award is given to those basketball coaches who have devoted 20 consecutive years or more of service to the same school and for their loyalty/commitment to Ohio High School Basketball. I began highlighting the coaches in the SouthEast District who have been presented with the Bob Arnzen Award over the years ... as one would expect those I found (24) are among the who's who of SEO hoops :

Howie Caldwell (Racine Southern)
Jim Darrow (Wellston)
Doug Fisher (Sheridan)
Jim Myers (Logan)
Jim Osborne (Gallia Academy)
Dave Young (North Adams)
John Helber (Logan) ... plus 17 more in the SE District ...

... this is only a partial list, as there are 17 others listed from SEOhio who have had the longevity/commitment to be coaching at the same school for 20 consecutive years... from the short list - Jim Myers was not a head coach at Logan but a long time (at least 20 consecutive years) assistant at Logan both boys and girls - I can still remember Jim Myers at Logan High School running 6am run-thru's with LHS teams back in 1982 when I first started teaching at Logan High School - outstanding coach/teacher of the game who had a hand in coaching/instilling the love of the game to some of the current outstanding coaches in SEOhio - Coach Stiverson at Logan Elm, Coach Blane Maddox at Warren, Coach John Helber at Fairfield Union to name but a few ... John Helber - was the freshmen coach at LHS for my oldest son, before working his way up to the varsity position at Logan ... so many connections - when a coach puts in 20 consecutive years in one program/one school/one community they have made so many connections with THAT community, school, families, & students ...

...as I was reading through the names, it dawned on me that Coach Maddox was NOT on the list, knew he had to be close though, Coach Maddox's first season with the Warren Warriors was 1999 ... the 2018-19 season IS Blane's 20th consecutive year at Warren Local as the head coach ... Coach Maddox started this season with 316 wins 124 losses ... with his current record Blane is at 326-128 (.718 winning percentage) ...

... the awards will come out at the end of the season ... Coach Blane Maddox will be added to next years awards page in Hooplines for the Bob Arnzen Award ... knowing Blane he will value this award highly as it shows longevity/commitment/loyalty to "A" school , the community, the students & players he has worked with over the years ... just as he will be proud to be listed with those who have been presented this award in the past ... having talked many times over the 30 years that I have known Blane - I know how highly he speaks of other coaches he knows/admires both past and present in the Southeast District ... I know that he will be honored to be listed among the other 24 coaches from SEOhio already having received the Bob Arnzen Award in the past as well as those who will be added with him at the end of this season ... and to those who are not quite at 20 years - Coach Blane Maddox has proven in all he has done to be a role model for all of those yet to be added in the future ... let me be one of the first to congratulate you Coach Blane Maddox of Warren Local on qualifying for the Bob Arnzen Award ...

[LucasDavenport]

Very nice!!

As always Pfloyd — thanks for making this a positive site

[Ironman92]

For the last 15 years I have sat behind the visiting bench and love to watch coaches in action. How they adjust, motivate, behave etc. IMO Maddox is the best in the district. He never disappoints. One of my favorites was pretty early in the game they had already gained a 20 point lead, then our Ironmen boys scored 4 points on 2 consecutive possessions.....he called a timeout, stayed calm but yet his intensity was showing on his face and he let them know that they had lost some focus and he wasn’t going to let it continue.....the teenage boys all glued to his words and eye contact by each. Warren blew us out and they remained focused and kids on the bench stayed focused on the game as well.

7-8 years later Warren is at our scrimmage and sure enough his freshman kids are all goodon the ball defensers, box out, understand ball movement. Warren’s progr, too to bottom is as good as it gets....I blame Maddox.

[pfloyd]

I92, when I coached biddy basketball with the Comets here at Logan, we used to practice at the smaller than small Rockbridge Elementary school gym, Coach Maddox at the time was the freshmen coach at Logan ... he usually practiced right before we would get the gym , I would take my 2 boys out early so WE - me included - could watch, listen to Coach Maddox do his magic with the freshmen ... great practices , "I" learned soooo much from listening/watching Coach Maddox "teach" the game of basketball ...

[pfloyd]

I92, when I coached biddy basketball with the Comets here at Logan, we used to practice at the smaller than small Rockbridge Elementary school gym, Coach Maddox at the time was the freshmen coach at Logan ... he usually practiced right before we would get the gym , I would take my 2 boys out early so WE - me included - could watch, listen to Coach Maddox do his magic with the freshmen ... great practices , "I" learned soooo much from listening/watching Coach Maddox "teach" the game of basketball ...

... on the flip side - Coach Maddox was an intervention specialist in the special education department at Logan High School ... he taught in our department for 10 years prior to taking his talents to Warren ... outstanding teacher ... Blane taught/worked with students who had severe behaviors and Coach John Helber (now at Fairfield Union) was his assistant in the classroom - 2 better people to work with you will never find anywhere - they were a great team in the classroom ...

[E High]

He’s Class !

[loganlocos]

One of the best in the business.

And truly a good man off the court. We were never "close" - he was my coach at many a Logan basketball camp before leaving for the Warren job - but he always would take a minute to say hello and chat when I'd go watch the Warriors whether they were playing Logan or someone else.

[hawkeyepierce]

Congratulations to Coach Maddox, he is definitely one of the best to coach the "b-ball." (Inside joke). I hope he has 20 more.

And thanks for reminding me, pfloyd. Coach Combs is in his 19th season at Vinton County, so after next year, we will see if we can get him nominated for this award.

[E High]

Class Man !

[pfloyd]

Congratulations to Coach Maddox, he is definitely one of the best to coach the "b-ball." (Inside joke). I hope he has 20 more.

And thanks for reminding me, pfloyd. Coach Combs is in his 19th season at Vinton County, so after next year, we will see if we can get him nominated for this award.

... Awesome hawkeyepierce ! I THINK Coach Stiverson for Logan Elm is either in year #20 now or #19 (I THINK it is #20) so HE TOO should be getting nominated/receiving the Bob Arnzen Award as well ... wow - Maddox/Combs/Stiverson ALL starting at their respective schools at approximately the same time, ALL have 300+ wins . ALL outstanding coaches/teachers of the game AND individuals ... I am so honored to KNOW these gentlemen, have had the opportunity to watch what they do courtside for their entire careers at Warren, Vinton County, Logan Elm respectively ...

[i83]

Maddox class act watched for many years one of the best continued success