Haynes Continues Tradition
Don Haynes’ high school basketball teams won more than 500 games and four state titles in a quarter-century of coaching.
The second generation began Tuesday. Haynes’ youngest son, Tyler, made a successful head coaching debut at Sandpoint when the Bulldogs downed Bonners Ferry 64-51. Son only needs 509 more victories to catch father.
About 33 years ago at Kellogg, Don Haynes launched his career. He didn’t have to wait long to coach a state championship team as the Wildcats captured a title his first season (1963-64).
The odds are heavily against Tyler Haynes repeating such a start. He faces stiff odds just getting to state.
He takes over a program that hasn’t qualified for state in 20 years. It’s been five years since the Bulldogs seriously contended for a state berth.
The question begging an answer is why did Tyler Haynes choose to start his head coaching career at a school lacking in tradition?
“I had some second thoughts about pursuing the job,” Haynes admitted this week. “Then when the job came open they talked about cutting the budget 50 percent. But people here are very supportive of athletics. I think the program is on the brink of turning around. I wouldn’t have taken the job unless I thought I could get the program back to state.”
And as far as following in his father’s shadow? No problem, says son.
“I don’t compare myself to my dad as a coach,” Tyler said.
Tyler Haynes believes he was born to coach. He was in the eighth grade, watching the NCAA Tournament, when it dawned on him he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“I thought it (coaching) was the only thing to do when I was growing up,” Haynes said.
Coaching isn’t new to him, either. Since graduating from Coeur d’Alene in 1989, Haynes has been training for this week. He’s actually beginning his ninth season.
He coached three years under his dad, followed that up with two under then-CdA coach and current LC coach Jim Winger, spent one season at Boise High, and spent the past two as varsity assistant to former Kellogg coach David Roberts at Meridian.
“I’m anxious to get it going,” Haynes said.
Any last-minute advice from dad?
“Not much,” Haynes said. “Where he’s mainly helped me the most is my first year of teaching. I always thought dad was a better teacher than a coach.”
The best ones usually are.
His father, retired and living in a Portland suburb, was on hand Tuesday for his son’s debut. He’ll take in Sandpoint’s next game, Saturday at Lakeland, and return at least once during the middle of the season before attending the state-qualifying tourney.
Beyond that? Well, the Bulldogs have some big odds to overcome.
Run for the Border
The first combined conference season featuring Inland Empire and Frontier teams should be nothing short of entertaining.
Depending on who you talk to, the league champ should be either Cheney, Coeur d’Alene or West Valley.
Lake City, Sandpoint and Lewiston could make things interesting.
Clarkston, East Valley and Post Falls - the Border League’s other three teams - will battle to stay out of the cellar.
Run from the Border?
All league games count toward seeding in the former leagues’ state-qualifying tournaments.
The highest-finishing Idaho team will play host to the A-1 Region I Tournament. So theoretically, an Idaho team could go undefeated against the Washington teams but not earn the right to host the regional tourney.
That has at least one coach fuming.
Lewiston coach Dick Richel, in fact, dislikes the Border League. His team, along with Clarkston, must make seven 3-hour road trips. None of those trips is on consecutive nights.
And the other feature Richel isn’t tickled about is doubleheaders and flip-flopping game times with the girls.
“If any of the other coaches were down here I’m sure they wouldn’t like it either,” Richel said. “There aren’t going to be many nights when we get home before midnight. And some of those games are on school nights.”
, DataTimes