CORBIN — By Les Dixon / Sports Editor

When Tony Pietrowski took over as coach at Corbin High School in 2001, he didn’t know what to expect. He was a star player on the hardwood for the Redhounds, but he knew coaching his alma mater would be a bit more difficult.

But after seven years, Pietrowski has guided his team to three region championships and 200 wins. His 200th win came at a special time during last week’s 13th Region championship game against North Laurel.

Corbin has been in the 13th Region finals five of the last six years, while winning three of its five appearances. Pietrowski is the first coach since Harry Taylor to have won more than two region titles at Corbin.

“I never really put much thought into how many career wins I could have at this point or how quickly I could compile them,” Pietrowski said. “The last few years have been so enjoyable that honestly I lost track of how many games I had won.

“A friend of mine came up to me before our first district game and informed me that if we ran the table from that point on I would collect my 200th win and to be honest, I figured that might be the kiss of death,” he joked. “I wanted to keep it quiet because I felt our team had enough pressure placed on them already.”

He also said winning three region championships is just as big as winning the 200 games, especially since this year’s region title marked the first time since 1952 Corbin repeated as region champs.

“I’m not going to lie, it means a whole lot to me,” he said. “Early on in my career, some people questioned whether or not I was the right fit for the program, so to be able to win three is pretty sweet. When you look back at all the great coaches and players that have come through this program since 1952, it’s a great accomplishment for me. 

“With that said, I’m not naive enough to think that it’s all my doing. It’s a testament to some great players and coaches that helped me reach this accomplishment,” Pietrowski added.

The humble coach said numerous people have played a big part in his success as a coach, which includes his wife, Wendy, his mother, Betsy, his father Paul, his brother Paul Jr., the Corbin High School administration, his coaching staff, his players (past and present), and former coaches.

“When I look back to what has led to these victories, there are numerous people that I must give their due credit,” he admitted. “Wendy has the perfect feel on whether I want to talk basketball or not when I get home. She understands the need for me to be at practice, out scouting, watching film, or anything else that comes with the position. A coach’s wife is a tough position and she does an outstanding job. 

“My mom, dad, and brother are outstanding as well,” Pietrowski added. “It amazes me how much they care about my kids. Mom does everything from pass out gum before games to helping with washing uniforms. Behind the scenes she is a vital part of my success. She does more for my kids than anyone could ever imagine and Dad has coached most of these kids at the middle school level and the bond he has with them is special. The kids really love being around him. He’s taught me a lot about basketball and coaching and my brother is great. He’s always there for me win or lose and loves Corbin basketball.”

Pietrowski also admitted he is fortunate to have an administration, coaching staff and players (past and present) like he has.

“From everyone at our board of education to Mrs. (Joyce) Phillips, coach (Randall) Sawyers, and coach (Gerald) Foley, I have a great support system,” he said. “They understand the ups and downs that come with coaching and their willingness to support me during the good and bad is a huge reason for the success this program has seen.

“I feel that the group of coaches I have in place has been an integral part of my success,” he added. “Coach (Jason) McDaniel is the first coach that most kids meet when they come into our program. He teaches not only the basics of our system, but the effort that we expect out of them. He does a great job of getting kids ready to take that next step to the varsity level and coach (Brent) West is what I call an “x” and “o” type of guy. He has a unique ability to break down other teams and find ways to put our guys in the best position for them to be successful. His basketball IQ is off the charts. You couple those things with the fact he’s been a head coach for years and understands the things that come with that position, and it makes him a huge reason for our success. Coach (John) Crawford has a great feel for basketball.  He knows when to change defenses, substitute players, pat a kid on the back or challenge him to play at a higher level — he’s a motivator. He can relate to kids and push them to reach a higher level of play. But above all, he is a teacher, both in the classroom and on the basketball floor.  He can reach kids and relate to them the information he is trying to convey.”

Pietrowski said the thing he likes most about the players is the stories they share once they’ve graduated.

“I want to thank all the kids that bought into what we as a coaching staff tried to convey,” he said. “Not all of them reached their ultimate goals in my tenure, but most have represented Corbin in superior fashion. One of the things that I enjoy the most is the memories I share with the kids.

“To this day, when I see the kids I have coached out in the community, we share some old stories about the time we spent together,” Pietrowski added. “Ultimately, these wins and losses will be forgotten, but the relationship I have with the kids I have coached will last forever.”

He also admitted just how much he learned from past coaches that have been a part of his life.

“Mike Deaton gave me a chance to come onto his staff and for that, I will always be grateful,” he said. “He didn’t have to let me be a part of the program and without the opportunity, I very well might have not been hired as head coach upon his departure. In one year, I learned a lot about the nuances of coaching high school basketball.

“Coach (Billy) Hicks, coach (Randy) Vernon and coach (Don) Butcher — I learned so much playing under these great coaches,” Pietrowski added. “To this day, I try to instill the things I learned from them into my players. Not to mention that they have won a few basketball games in their time as well. To the hundreds of people that I have left out — one thing about Corbin is all the tradition that is involved. There are numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations that I could talk about for hours. Each in their own way has helped me and my teams.”

One thing Pietrowski mentioned that might surprise a few is his thoughts on the addition of the South Laurel Cardinals to the 13th Region during the 2005-06 season.

“The addition of South Laurel to the 13th Region, this one is probably a shock to some, but when South Laurel moved into our region and district they were coming off a state championship — they were very well-coached and loaded with talent,” he said. “I had just won my first region title, but saw that we needed to continue to improve. It forced us to step our level of play up a notch.

“If we were going to win district and region titles, I knew my level of coaching needed to improve and so did the level of our play,” Pietrowski added. “The competitive nature between our two programs, in my opinion, has made us both better.”

Pietrowski said when he took over as head coach, he felt added pressure, but didn’t mind it at all.

“I had so many ties to the community that early on I felt pressure to win,” he admitted. “It comes with territory at Corbin and I knew that when I accepted the job — it’s actually one of the reasons I love coaching here.  Our fans have a passion for the game and they want to win. There is nothing wrong with that and in fact, I embrace it. Give me a group of passionate fans any day over a group that has no vested interest. 

“Just look at the number of people we had in the stands at The Arena — in a word it was amazing,” Pietrowski added. “I think for the most part, I have moved on from “Tony the basketball player” to “Coach P the basketball coach” and to me that’s important. It’s not that I don’t relish those years, I will always cherish everything that I accomplished as a player, but I also want to write a new chapter as a successful coach.”

With so much success in only nine years, does Pietrowski believe he’ll be around for another 200 wins?

“Who knows what the future holds?,” he said. “I do know that I love Corbin and I love coaching here. I would love to say that I will be around for a long time, but things can change very quickly. I plan on taking everything as it comes and enjoying it as much as possible.”