Scott Fox has joined the CHS boys basketball coaching staff, working with veteran post players while also running the C-Team. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Sometimes you get lucky.
Thanks to Coupeville making a top-notch retirement destination, the Wolf boys basketball program has added a valuable component to its coaching staff.
Scott Fox, a former All-City player in California who went on to play college ball in Alaska before becoming a coach, joined Brad Sherman’s staff this season to work with the varsity post players.
Now, thanks to an influx of Wolves turning out for boys basketball, he’ll also be calling the shots for the school’s C-Team.
That latter job has to be officially rubber-stamped by the school board at its next meeting, but hey, it’s happening and that’s a good thing.
In Fox, Coupeville inherits a man who tore up the court for Millikan High School in Long Beach, CA, before moving on to play basketball at Long Beach City College, then on scholarship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
After that, he mixed coaching with a 30-year career with the Anaheim Fire Department, where he was a paramedic and put in 12 years as a Captain.
Fox has been both a head coach and an assistant while working at every level of high school ball, first at his alma mater, then later at Orange Lutheran.
While planning for retirement, he and wife Susan purchased a house in Coupeville, after finding they loved life in Cow Town.
“The amount of friendliness and true compassion for fellow neighbors is second to none,” Fox said. “We meet terrific people on a daily basis and are truly impressed with the amount of volunteerism and dedication to community that we experience.”
When the couple arrived on the Island for good, the longtime coach began to follow the CHS basketball program’s progress, eventually reaching out to Sherman.
“We found our coaching styles were very similar,” Fox said. “I specialize in working with the post players, which freed up coach Sherman to work with the guards and overall strategy of the team.
“I played back in the Jerry Tarkanian and Lute Olsen era, who both came from Long Beach, and I enjoy passing this knowledge on to today’s basketball player,” he added. “My passion is coaching basketball and this is my way of giving back to our community.”
Along with their past success as players, Fox shares a similar philosophy with Sherman and Wolf JV coach Chris Smith, allowing the trio to mesh well.
“Coaches have a huge impact on student’s lives and I would like to be part of their development into adulthood,” Fox said. “I/we prioritize in helping develop the total student, which includes being a responsible person first, student second, and athlete last.
“We hold our athletes accountable for their behavior and academic success prior to ever being allowed onto the basketball court,” he added. “We feel this will benefit them as they develop habits for success past high school.”
In his work, both with the younger C-Team players and with the varsity post players, Fox wants to help build a winning program, but also one the community can look to proudly off the floor as well.
“Beyond the wins and losses I want to instill a work ethic of accountability, responsibility and teamwork in these athletes,” he said. “I would like to see us improve after every game and learn what it means to be part of a team.
“This is a truly special place and we are glad to be part of it.”
Coupeville Sports 