Kevin.Harris@newsandtribune.com
JEFFERSONVILLE —
Tim LaGrange has had a successful three-year run as the head coach of the Jeffersonville boys’ basketball team.
During that tenure, LaGrange has guided the Red Devils to a 51-21 record, a Class 4A sectional championship earlier this month and a regional crown last weekend.
Throughout that time, the Jeff boss has had a family member take every step with him in pursuing that success — his stepson and Red Devil senior guard Drake Coleman.
LaGrange says coaching his stepson for three seasons has been challenging, but worthwhile.
“It’s been a challenge at times,” LaGrange said. “You know, it’s not easy. It’s not easy for him to have his stepfather as his coach and be in the same building with him everyday. Teenagers are rebellious by nature, so I think that’s been hard for him. He is also a kid who is emotional and sometimes his emotions get the better of him.
“But there has been a lot of joy as well. In my mind, and I hope in his, these last two weeks have made it all worth it.”
Coleman credits his stepfather for teaching him all the aspects of the game.
“He’s taught me everything — how to shoot, how to pass, dribble, all those things,” Coleman said. “He’s taught me about being smart, knowing the time and score and knowing where to be on the floor. I’ve learned everything from him.
“I’ve enjoyed it a lot. The first year I really played was my sophomore year, and that was pretty exciting. My junior year, it was a little tougher. I was in the starting lineup, and it was just tough. And this year, it has been a blast.”
LaGrange has known Coleman since his stepson was 2 1/2 years old. At the time, LaGrange was an assistant coach at Hancock County (Ky.) High School. Right away, LaGrange could tell that the youngster loved basketball and had a knack for playing the game.
“He looked like a ballplayer the first time I saw him,” LaGrange said. “He’s always had a good feel for the game. He’s always had a good understanding of how to play. It’s kind of like math coming naturally to some kids and English coming naturally to some kids. Basketball just came naturally to him. I thought he definitely had the mind for the game.”
LaGrange’s wife, Angie, discovered her son’s passion for the game earlier than that.
When Coleman’s mother brought her 18-month-old son to the grocery store, he would go to a rack where they had small plastic basketballs. He would take one of the balls and dribble it around the store the entire time his mom was shopping.
During his high school career, Coleman had to go through a major change in his life.
In June 2007, LaGrange accepted the Jeff head coaching job after spending 10 years guiding the Jasper boys’ program. Coleman, who just completed his freshman year at Jasper, had to say goodbye to several friends and teammates at the Class 3A school and get adjusted to a new environment.
“At first, it was real tough because I didn’t know anybody here,” Coleman said. “But I’ve adjusted, and it’s been great the last few years.”
LaGrange says playing for the Red Devils has helped Coleman develop his skills on the court.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that he’s a better player in coming to Jeffersonville,” LaGrange said. “He’s been pushed in practice every day, so I think every part of his game has gotten better. I think being here and playing a good 4A schedule, playing in a good sectional and a good conference has forced him to elevate his game. I think it’s made him reach his potential as a player.”
Probably the best moment in Coleman and LaGrange’s tenure at Jeff was last Saturday in the Seymour Regional final against top-ranked and defending state champion Bloomington South.
With the score tied at 56 with 8.4 seconds left, Coleman — a 90 percent free-throw shooter — nailed two foul shots to lead Jeff to a 58-56 upset victory over the powerful Panthers.
Once the final horn sounded, stepfather and stepson shared a big hug with each other on the court, while the rest of the team celebrated. The father-son duo and the rest of the Red Devils will attempt to continue their postseason run on Saturday when they face No. 3 Indianapolis North Central in the Southport Semistate.
“It was real special, because I knew how much it meant to him, and it meant a lot to me also,” Coleman said. “It was just really special to share that moment with him.”
Coleman has been hitting clutch baskets for Jeff all season. He is averaging 10.8 points per game this year, along with becoming the school-record holder for most 3-pointers made in a season.
LaGrange says Coleman has been one of many Red Devils who have made this season one to remember.
“The real evaluation of his season and anybody on this team is our team success,” LaGrange said. “We have a very balanced team, and I think that’s the strength of our team. To be able to average double figures and set the single-season 3-point record here, and to do that on a team that has been as successful as we have, I think that speaks for itself.”
When LaGrange and Coleman come home, they hardly talk about the team. According to LaGrange, both of them leave everything on the court.
“It’s kind of our family agreement that the coaching part stays at the gym,” LaGrange said. “I’m coach at school and I’m dad at home, and we’ve done a pretty good job of sticking to that. The conversations that we have regarding basketball at home are more talking about things from a fan perspective. We talk about college basketball and things every father and son talk about. But we do not sit at home and break down film and talk about what happened at practice.”
Coleman says he and his stepdad might talk about team matters once in a while. But for the most part, they stay mum about the subject.
“If we have a problem, we tend to keep it (at the gym),” said Coleman, who has gotten interest from Hanover and Anderson to play NCAA Division III college ball. “But if it’s something about strategy or the upcoming team, we sometimes talk about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to play.”
