Short Quotes from Former Players

November 12, 2009 on 9:32 pm | In Coach Floyd LeBaron Tribute | No Comments

Jim Hansch (1956): “Coach was a real competitor and a real inspiration to me. I’ve always thought the world of him.”

Steve Hansen (1957): “When you played for Coach LeBaron, you hustled your butt off. He was all about discipline, fundamentals, playing as a team, and working hard.”

Jim Burgoyne (1959: “I wonder how many other hall-of-fame basketball coaches can say they never had a technical foul called on themselves, or never uttered a curse word in front of their players. Coach not only talked the talk, he walked the walk.”

Bill Moore (1960): “Coach made you study your opponents and know everything about them. He also did a good job of working on the half-court game, both offense and defense. He was lucky to have a lot of great players when he was at Castle Rock, but we were lucky to have him, too.”

Bob Chastain (1962): I don’t remember much about the games we won and lost, the Trico championships, the district championships, or the trips to the state tournament. What I remember are the values he taught. Those values are what a man stands for in life.”

Richard McBride (1962): “Mr. LeBaron – and that’s the way I still think of him – instilled values, not by preaching, but more by example and the way he taught, coached, and lived his life. He encouraged us to be the best we could be in whatever we did.”

Larry Downing (1962): “Coach not only taught us on the floor and in the classroom, but he also taught about life.”

Wayne Lovingfoss (1963): “I think one of the reasons we did so well my senior year was because of Coach LeBaron and the Castle Rock tradition. People expected you to win, and you started believing you would.”

Mal Rose (1963): “I couldn’t shoot a jump shot, but Coach LeBaron taught me that offense didn’t matter that much. He said that if our guy didn’t score, we were going to win.”

Ramey Lampshire (1968): “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.  Mr. LeBaron was one of the greatest I have met.”

Sam Cooley (1969): “We loved the man. He expected the best out of his players and received it because we respected him and wanted to play hard for him.”

Terry McDaniel (1969): “I’ve never met anyone I was so honored to know. His passive, gentle ways of coaching and teaching should be a lesson to us all. No intimidation, belittling, or humiliation. He let you know that you were important. You truly were the Rocket Man.”

Rob Andrew (1969): “Coach was a proponent of discipline, fundamentals, and a strong work ethic. He was a great leader and inspired us all to do our best.”

Dean Schwinn (1970): ”Everybody wanted to play for Coach LeBaron. He was the Man.”

Jim Andrew (1971): “He taught us respect. Respect for the game, respect for the officials, respect for the opponent, respect for our teammates, and – most of all – respect for ourselves. The last thing you wanted to do was let him down.”

Mike Berndt (1971): “Coach was always able to remain a gentleman and maintain the highest standards of civility, even in the most adverse and unfair of circumstances.”

Dave LeMonds (1972): “Floyd was always a class act. He epitomized what I think a coach should be – hard-working, fair, focused, competitive, disciplined, and a great role model for his players.”