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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Still Waiting...
Central Oklahoma, OK
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Bill Robertson has coached 23 seasons at Putnam North. Despite numerous trips to the state tournament, Robertson has never won a championship. His team this season finished runner-up to Tulsa Memorial.
I’ve coached 23 teams at North and we’ve only had one Division-I player. We just have very, good high school players.
It’s been 14 years in a row where we’ve won 15 or more games. That’s because we’ve had a lot of quality high school players who have all bought into the team concept.
I kind of thought this was the year for us. We played five outstanding games in the playoffs. We just didn’t put that sixth one together.
Any time you get to the state tournament, it’s great. If you win, you’re more satisfied.
We made the finals in 1987 and played Tulsa Washington in the finals against Richard Dumas. We ran into a great team that year. We were good, but not as athletic as they were
You got to get there and you have to get a favorable matchup once you do. Tulsa Memorial’s size bothered us offensively and defensively. They kept us from doing a lot of things we like to do.
The ultimate goal is to win it, but if that’s the only reason you’re coaching, you’re missing the boat. For one, you have to have the goal to make the kids the best they can be. You have to teach them skills that pertain to basketball and to life.
After this year’s game, I told the guys that I was proud of them and their season and the playoffs. They went to the finals. I told them not to dwell on this game. We were disappointed, but we did the best we could.
I was disappointed we lost, but not as much as a lot of family and friends and people in coaching who called me. I was down Saturday night, but I was excited about our year.
My wife is wanting me to retire. We’re traveling more and more. I’m just hot and cold. I just don’t know at this point.
Used to, you could coach harder and the kids would accept it. Now, they don’t relate to it. School has evolved into coaches doing parenting skills instead of just coaching.
I’m not as intense as I was. You have to change with the climate of the times. You can’t have that Bobby Knight style and get physical. It’s about basketball. it’s about what we’ve practiced. It’s never personal. I’ve never used profanity at a kid and I’ve never laid a hand on a kid.
Parents still love their kids. But I think they are more lenient then they should be.
I don’t drink and don’t smoke. I have basic values. I lead a dull life by some standards, but I’m happy with it. I’m conservative.
I’ve been a coach at some level for 37 years and 23 years at North. If I felt like I didn’t have the energy I’d quit. I feel like I still relate to the kids
I have three older brothers. One was nine years older than me. I watched him play basketball and got the desire to play from him. That’s what got me into it.
My parents didn’t encourage or discourage me in sports. I had three brothers and we all worked in a family run grocery store. My parents supported me and went to the games. We didn’t have summer league, I just played in school and made the team. It was just for fun as far as my family was concerned.
Mike Maddox went on to Kansas and might have been the best player I’ve had, He was also the hardest worker I’ve had. He’s the only McDonald’s All-American player we’ve had.
Sam Bradford would be on the same level as Mike Maddox. He could have played Division-I basketball.
I think a lot of our kids will tell you that they had fun playing here.
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