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Hoops coach surpasses 500 career wins

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Achieving another coaching milestone was all but inevitable this season for Wesley Chapel High School varsity boys basketball coach Doug Greseth.

After all, Greseth ended last year sitting on 499 career wins as a high school hoops coach in Florida.

He didn’t have wait very long into the 2018-2019 campaign to celebrate win No. 500.

It came in the Wildcats very first game of this season — a dominant 59-27 road win against the Pasco High Pirates on Nov. 27.

Wesley Chapel High varsity boys basketball coach Doug Greseth recently notched his 500th career win as a high school coach. (Kevin Weiss)

“I’ve been very fortunate,” Greseth, 61, said about achieving his 500th career victory. “I’ve had a lot of good players. I’ve had a lot of good assistant coaches, athletic directors and principals, that have helped me along the way. I’ve just had some good people and good coaches, and just a lot of really, really great memories.”

Greseth is now in his 33rd season coaching high school basketball in Florida.

Much of his success has come by way of Wesley Chapel — going 271-145 (as of Dec. 17) through 16 seasons. (His 267th win at Wesley Chapel was his 500th career win as a high school basketball coach.)

Additionally, Greseth registered 70 wins in four seasons at Tampa Jefferson (1999-2002) and 163 wins in 13 seasons at Okeechobee (1983-1996) high schools. He also had a two-year stint as an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Tampa.

Greseth entered the coaching ranks after wrapping up a playing career at Rochester (Minnesota) Community College and Division III Augsburg (Minnesota) University.

Initially, he saw it as a “year-to-year thing.”

He kept returning to the sidelines, however, realizing he had a passion and enthusiasm for the profession — and a desire to help athletes reach their full potential.

Greseth put his thoughts about his role this way: “Most people don’t like the grind of practice and getting your players ready to go. I kind of enjoy that part. I kind of enjoy teaching them and coaching them how to play. I enjoy it when we start seeing improvement, and just being around the game.”

He acknowledges, however, it can be frustrating at times, and the workload can be taxing.

Much like other high school hoops coaches, Greseth describes himself as part teacher, part janitor and part house mom.

The gig requires more than coaching games, organizing practices and drawing up plays.

Besides overseeing the development of 26 boys on the school’s varsity and junior varsity squads, Greseth also pumps up balls, launders jerseys, sweeps the gymnasium floor and handles countless logistical issues.

“You do more than people think you do,” said Greseth, who also teaches health and physical education at the school. “When you’re a head high school basketball coach, you pretty much do A to Z,” Greseth said, adding, “I have a lot more responsibilities than just the 2 to 2 ½ hours on the practice floor.”

He’s passionate about the work.

“I really put my heart and soul into this. I really try to do the best I can for my players and in turn, I think they try and do the best they can for me,”  Greseth said.

With his teams, priority is placed on effort, unselfishness, and sound defensive play. It’s a philosophy he’s stuck to through the years.

The results speak for themselves.

He has guided Wesley Chapel to eight playoff appearances, three district championships, and to six seasons with more than 20 wins.

He also made three playoff appearances at Jefferson. And, his 27-3 record during the 1990-1991 season at Okeechobee remains the best single season mark in that program’s history.

He’s a teacher, on and off the court.

“I kind of look at the gym as a big classroom — I’m trying to teach them how to play basketball. I think if you approach it that way, you can stay consistent that way and have good results,” Greseth said.

Beyond the wins and accolades, Greseth also has coached his fair share of standout hoopers.

Among the most notable are Tarence Kinsey at Jefferson and Erik Thomas at Wesley Chapel — both of whom earned state player of the year honors, in 2002 and 2013, respectively.

Kinsey went on to star at the University of South Carolina and played three seasons in the NBA (Memphis Grizzlies in 2006-2008, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008-2009), before embarking on a basketball career overseas.

Thomas, meanwhile, starred at the University of New Orleans, where in 2017 he was named Southland Conference Player of the Year and led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 20 years. Thomas — Wesley Chapel’s all-time leading scorer (2,138 points) and rebounder (1,203 rebounds) — now plays professionally overseas in Argentina.

“Those were two of the best players I ever had,” Greseth said. “I had a lot of other good ones, too.”

After three-plus decades of coaching, Greseth shows no signs of slowing down.

His current Wildcats squad — a mix of veterans and inexperienced players —  is off to a blistering 5-0 start (as of Dec. 17). Their average margin of victory is 22 points.

Greseth describes the team as “a great bunch of kids to coach for,” and believes the team can compete at the top of District 8-6A come February, with some marked improvements.

“The district, I think, is pretty balanced this year,” the coach said. “There’s a lot of teams that could get a No.1 through No. 4 seed or get to the playoffs. I think we can be right there at the end of the season; we’ve just gotta get better as the year goes on.”

As for how long Greseth will remain in coaching?

“When I don’t have the passion, the drive and the enthusiasm to do it anymore, then I need to step away and somebody else needs to do it,” he said.  “I’ll know when it’s time.”

One thing’s for sure: Greseth plans to end his coaching career at Wesley Chapel.

“I like the school. I like the kids here. I like the people here. I like the people I work with here,” Greseth said.

Road to 500-plus career victories

  • 163 wins in 13 seasons at Okeechobee High School (1983-1996)
  • 70 wins in four seasons at Jefferson (Tampa) High School (1999-2002)
  • 271 wins (as of Dec. 17) in 16 seasons at Wesley Chapel High School (2003-present)

Wesley Chapel High School boys basketball under Coach Doug Greseth
2003-2004: 22-6 (state playoffs; region semifinals)

2004-2005: 17-10 (district champions; state playoffs)

2005-2006: 23-6 (conference champions; district champions; state playoffs)

2006-2007: 15-12 (district runner-up; state playoffs)

2007-2008: 19-7

2008-2009: 12-14

2009-2010: 13-12 (conference runner-up)

2010-2011: 13-16 (district runner-up; state playoffs)

2011-2012: 24-5 (conference champions; state playoffs)

2012-2013: 24-5 (conference champions; district champions; state playoffs)

2013-2014: 21-6 (conference runner-up)

2014-2015: 17-10 (conference runner-up)

2015-2016: 21-8 (conference runner-up; district runner-up; state playoffs)

2016-2017: 9-17

2017-2018: 16-11

2018-2019: 5-0 (as of Dec. 17)

Published December 19, 2018

Erik Thomas relishes NCAA tournament cameo

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Erik Thomas’ illustrious collegiate career is over, but the former Wesley Chapel High basketball star has no plans to step away from the court.

On March 14, the University of New Orleans Privateers suffered a heart-wrenching 67-66 loss to Mount St. Mary’s in the First Four game of the NCAA Tournament.

Erik Thomas remains Wesley Chapel’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, leading scorer and rebounder with 2,138 points and 1,203 rebounds, respectively.
In his senior prep season, Thomas was named Class 5A Player of the Year after averaging a state-best 32.7 points per game and 16.3 rebounds per game.
(File)

The defeat was a bittersweet ending to what otherwise was a noteworthy senior season for Thomas, the 2016-2017 Southland Conference Player of the Year and the Privateers’ leading scorer (19.3 points per game), rebounder (7.8 per game) and shooter (58.9 field goal percentage).

Thanks in large part to contributions from the 6-foot-5 forward, New Orleans punched a ticket to the Big Dance for the first time since 1996. Moreover, it marked the team’s first 20-win season since 1996-1997, and its first winning season since 2008.

Despite the early exit, reaching the NCAA Tournament was quite literally “a once-in-a-lifetime experience” for Thomas.

“A lot of dudes don’t get to experience that,” Thomas said. “Just being able to make it to the First Four and represent the school, it was an excitement for all of us, and I was just happy to be there; it was a blessing.”

Along the way, Thomas, who remains Wesley Chapel’s High’s all-time leading scorer (2,138 points) and rebounder (1,203 rebounds), said he was inundated with messages of support from family and friends.

That included Doug Greseth, Thomas’ high school coach at Wesley Chapel High School.

In fact, Greseth made the 640-mile trek to New Orleans to watch Thomas’ final home game, on March 11.

“For him to come (to New Orleans), it meant a lot,” Thomas said. “It felt good to have the support there.”

Greseth, one of Pasco County’s longest-tenured boys basketball coaches, was awestruck by Thomas’ development since last coaching him during the 2012-2013 season.
That season, Thomas was named Class 5A Player of the Year after averaging a state-best 32.7 points per game and 16.3 rebounds per game.

“I got goose bumps watching him live,” Greseth said, “because I was just so proud of how much better, how much of a well-rounded player he is.

“He’s really become a complete player. He can play with his face to the basket, he can play with his back to the basket. He rebounds well. He’s always been an excellent passer, and his defense has gotten a lot better.”

Former Wesley Chapel High hoops star Erik Thomas helped lead the New Orleans Privateers to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996. The 2016-2017 Southland Conference Player of the Year was the Privateers’ leading scorer (19.3 points per game), rebounder (7.8 per game) and shooter (58.9 field goal percentage). He is now focusing on a professional basketball career.
(Courtesy of University of New Orleans)

Greseth, too, complimented Thomas’ unselfishness, leadership, and improved shot selection and basketball IQ.

“He really worked hard to improve,” Greseth said.

With stints at Jefferson and Okeechobee high schools, Greseth acknowledged Thomas is one of the top “two or three players” he’s ever coached during his career, which spans more than 30 years.

At Jefferson High, Greseth coached Tarence Kinsey, who was named the state’s Class 4A player of the year in 2002.
Kinsey later played for the University of South Carolina and spent two seasons in the NBA (Memphis Grizzlies in 2006-2007, Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008), before embarking on a basketball career overseas.

Thomas, likewise, is mulling a professional hoops career.

The basketball star said he’s currently searching for a sports agent, as he works towards completing his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

In the meantime, Thomas is sharpening his hoops skills.

“I’m just trying to stay in shape and keep working on my craft,” Thomas said. “I’m always in the gym working. It doesn’t stop no matter what. Even after the season, I took a couple days’ break and then I was just back in the gym working out.”

Though the NBA appears to be a long shot, a basketball career internationally seems well within reach for Thomas.

“I definitely think he can play overseas,” Greseth said, confidently.  “I think he could play in Europe; I definitely believe he can do that.”

A four-year letterman at Wesley Chapel, Thomas helped lead the Wildcats to a combined 74-38 overall record, a 37-17 mark in district play and berths in the playoffs each year, including identical 24-5 marks with District 8-5A titles his last two years.

Despite the production and flashy statistics, Thomas was relatively overlooked as a Division I prospect out of high school.

He opted to play two seasons in junior college — East Georgia State College and Baton Rouge Community College — before transferring to New Orleans his junior season.

Many Division I schools, Greseth said, were initially concerned Thomas was too undersized to play in the frontcourt and lacked the qualities needed to transition to the backcourt.

“I’d say most Division I schools thought he was too small to play inside,” Greseth said. “I think they felt like he wasn’t a good enough shooter to play on the perimeter — I think that’s probably what got him.”

Yet, Thomas was able to augment his skills each year, Greseth added, later proving naysayers wrong.

“A lot of that is mostly him putting in the work to get better,” Greseth said. “Some kids — they don’t get any better, they peak at an early age. He just seemed to get better and better every year that he played.”

Regardless of what his future holds, Thomas said he wants to serve as a role model for others in the sport, particularly those forced to enter the junior college ranks.

“I just like to be a motivation,” Thomas said, “to everybody else that’s out there that goes through the JuCo route, or that’s gotten injured coming out of high school.”

That experience, however, served him well.

“I believe going through the process that I went through — it’s just made me a better player and made me work harder,” he said.

Published March 29, 2017

A focus on Florida at the 2016 RNC in Cleveland

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By now, the Republican National Convention is “old news” — but to the 99 Florida delegates and their alternates—it will never be forgotten. To them, the convention was serious business, but a lot of fun, too. Here is a brief snapshot of their four days together.

Leaving Tampa: Goals
On the plane headed up to Cleveland, I asked some of the Tampa area delegates what they hoped would happen at the RNC. Leaving the convention as a united party topped their lists. They were well aware that a fractured party makes it difficult to win Florida, and that the presidential race in Florida is already projected to be very close (nothing new).

From left, Steve Graves, Sandy Graves and Dr. Susan A. MacManus, chat during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Steve Graves was an alternate Florida delegate, and Sandy Graves was a delegate. MacManus, is a political scientist who was at the convention as an analyst for ABC Action News. MacManus is a nationally known commentator, with deep knowledge of Florida politics. (Photos courtesy of Dr. Susan A. MacManus)
From left, Steve Graves, Sandy Graves and Dr. Susan A. MacManus, chat during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Steve Graves was an alternate Florida delegate, and Sandy Graves was a delegate. MacManus, is a political scientist who was at the convention as an analyst for ABC Action News. MacManus is a nationally known commentator, with deep knowledge of Florida politics.
(Photos courtesy of Dr. Susan A. MacManus)

They were hopeful that their nominee, Donald J. Trump, would project a more serious tone in his nationally televised acceptance speech to assure wavering Republicans and independents of his readiness to be president.

Many also were anxious to learn more about Trump’s vice presidential pick — Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana — believing it would give them a good indication of the kind of governing team Trump would put in place, if elected.

And, of course, they wanted to enjoy their time together in a city on the move — still high from the NBA Championship brought home by their beloved Cleveland Cavaliers. They knew attending breakfasts and events together throughout the week would be an important step toward creating a strong well-organized statewide network of party activists. It is essential for conducting effective voter registration drives and Get-Out-The-Vote efforts.

Florida delegates get special treatment
Everyone on the political planet knows it is almost impossible for Republicans to win back the White House without winning Florida. It is the nation’s biggest swing state (29 Electoral College votes) and the most competitive. That status translates into some special opportunities:

  • Great seats on the convention floor: Florida delegates sat center-stage, right behind the New York delegation, offering a bird’s eye view of the speakers and terrific photo opportunities. It pays to be a big swing state and one of Trump’s two “home” states!
  • The “A team” of speakers at morning breakfast events: Big names that spoke to and mingled with Florida Republicans included Newt Gingrich, Rudi Giuliani, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Col. Allen West, former Ambassador John Bolton, pollster Frank Luntz, and former Clinton strategist Dick Morris.
  • Prime time speaking slots for two state officials: Both Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi got prime time speaking opportunities. Both endorsed Trump early on — and both are seen as having higher political ambitions once termed out. Some have even speculated they might get plum appointments in a Trump administration.

Remember the best moments
My informal and unscientific “poll” of delegates headed home identified four “best moments”:

  • Roll call of the states: Before officially casting Florida’s 99 delegate votes for Donald J. Trump, state party chair Blaise Ingoglia reminded delegates of the fact that “We are the state that gave LeBron James his first two championships.” James starred with the Miami Heat before returning home to Cleveland to give the Cavaliers the championship this year. Of course, the chair also touted Florida’s role as a vacation paradise, citing Disney World, the state’s beaches, the Keys and the Daytona 500.
  • Speeches by Trump’s adult children — Tiffany, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka: These “fearsome four” won the hearts of the delegates with their speaking talents and stage presence. Delegates see them as powerful surrogates on the campaign trail, particularly useful in reaching millennial (18-34) voters. One delegate circled the venue with an Ivanka for President in 2024 sign.
  • Acceptance speeches by Trump…and Pence: While news media outlets cast the Trump speech as being overly dark and negative, the delegates I spoke to believed he just told it like it is — Americans are worried about security and the economy. As for Pence, he got high marks for bringing experience and a calmer demeanor to the ticket.
  • The balloon (and glitter) drop: Nothing unique here. It is always one of the most memorable moments—for its festive feeling following the official designation of the party’s nominee and for the end of a nearly sleepless four days for many delegates. This is the most photographed event of any convention. This year’s drop of some 125,000 balloons of all sizes and red, white, and blue combinations, made it a spectacular sight.

Another big plus: prayers were answered: Predictions of violence were wrong. Not only did delegates breathe a sigh of relief for their own safety, they were very happy that the City of Cleveland could revel in having been a great host city.

Forget the worst moments
Sadly, from the delegates, there were those troublesome moments they would just as soon forget. Two stand out:

  • The plagiarism charge regarding Melania Trump’s speech: Melania spoke the first night of the convention — a speech that was warmly received. Delegates went to bed on a positive note, but woke to the news that portions of the speech were highly similar to those in Michele Obama’s 2008 speech. It was a story that would not die. To delegates already worried about the seeming lack of organization in the Trump campaign, it was verification.
  • Ted Cruz’s unwillingness to endorse Trump: The boos that began in the New York delegation quickly spread from one delegation to the next much like a “wave” in a football stadium. The episode on night three once again raised concerns about reaching party unity by convention’s end.
A bird’s eye view of the convention hall during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
A bird’s eye view of the convention hall during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

There were also the “lock her up” chants. It is a common tactic at any convention to highlight your opponent’s negatives and contrast them with your candidate’s positives. But, 2016 is a more toxic political year. Constant speaker references to Hillary Clinton’s email and Benghazi actions ultimately resulted in convention-wide chants of “lock her up.” Ironically, it was Trump himself who tried to quell this phrase when it again surfaced during his acceptance speech. He signaled to the delegates to put a halt to it, instead tasking them to “Let’s defeat her in November.”

Bringing home the swag
Florida delegates took home some pretty awesome souvenirs — from a guitar-shaped knick-knack detailing dates and location of 2016 RNC, Make Florida Red Again hats, and large Trump tote bags, to Florida-themed cups and campaign buttons. In the end, what will make these great convention memories ever more long-lasting is a Trump-Pence victory on Nov. 8.

Next week:  A recap of the Florida delegation to the Democratic National Convention.

By Dr. Susan A. MacManus

Dr. Susan A. MacManus is a resident of Land O’ Lakes. She is a political scientist at the University of South Florida and was a political analyst for ABC Action News at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Published July 27, 2016