BUCYRUS — Scott Gifford has been coaching basketball for over 20 years. However, he had not been a high school head coach — until now.
The opportunity presented itself when the Bucyrus job came open earlier this spring. Gifford applied and on May 27, the Board of Education named him the 44th basketball coach in school history.
“Collectively, my career’s come to the point where I’m ready to be a head coach,” Gifford said. “I’ve always wanted to be a head coach.”
The Bucyrus position seemed perfect for Gifford, a native of Crawford County and a 1992 graduation of Galion High School. His daughter, Kiersten, still lives in Galion.
“Coming home to Crawford County, I’m a guy that just loves the area and I am dedicated to it,” Gifford said when asked what made the Bucyrus hoops job a good fit. “This is home for me, the place I plan on staying. It’s not a steppingstone for me. Bucyrus is my program now. I’m going to be here to build it for as long as it takes.”
Gifford has been immersed in basketball since his playing days at Galion, where he graduated in 1992. There, he played with Nate Reinking, who went on to play at Kent State and professionally in Europe. Reinking is currently a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach and former head coach of the Great Britain Olympic Team.
After high school, Gifford enlisted in the Marines, where he spent over 10 years, eventually becoming an officer. While there, he was the head coach of the NROTC team at Ohio State from 1999-2003. During that time, he doubled as head middle school coach for Upper Arlington schools.
Following a hiatus, Gifford returned to the sidelines in 2017 as a varsity assistant for Steve Mohr at Wynford for two years.
“There have been a lot of influential people that have given me the opportunity to coach at different levels,” Gifford said. “None have been more important than Coach Mohr when he was at Wynford.
“He coached at Shelby while I was playing at Galion. I just love his program, the way that he did things. When I got out of the Marine Corps, I called him up and said, ‘Hey coach, I’d love to learn under you, and I’d love to be a part of your staff.’”
Gifford came to Bucyrus highly recommended by Mohr, who praised his work ethic and his ability to build relationships with his players. Mohr noted that Gifford had a ‘thirst for learning the game that I have rarely seen in assistant coaches.’
“The one thing that he really taught, and that will always stick with me is that you always have to stick with fundamentals to make sure the kids are becoming experts at that before you take the next steps,” Gifford said. “I think it’s appropriate to give Coach Mohr the credit he deserves.”
For the past three seasons, Gifford has been the head varsity assistant coach at London High School. London coach Cody Sarenson also gave a strong recommendation for Gifford, describing him as ‘organized, detail-oriented, effective, and committed to getting the job done.’
The first-time head coach enters a program that has struggled mightily in recent years and has had only glimpses of success in its entire history. Bucyrus has gone a miserable 19-142 over the past seven years, 14-96 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference. The last league title was a North Central Conference championship in 2003 under Todd Martin.
But Gifford is certainly aware of the history of the program, having played and coached against the Redmen. He even attended Bucyrus City Schools for a time in grade school. Still, he is undaunted.
“I’m going in with eyes open, but I’m also going in with the idea that it’s time to flip the page,” Gifford said. “It’s not a new season, it’s a new era. That’s what I told the kids. I wasn’t part of the history of Bucyrus. Most of these kids — besides four or five who played varsity last year — weren’t part of it.
“We’re going to go ahead, we’re going to close the book,” he continued. “The belief system’s going to change, expectations are going to change, the way we carry ourselves is going to change. I told (the kids) Day 1 started (May 27). The community is going to notice a huge difference in this team when we take the floor next year.”
One of Gifford’s first priorities was assembling his coaching staff, which is still a work in progress made a little more difficult with the retirement of long-time coach Phil Joseph. Gifford is interested in involving as many alumni in the program as possible. He can’t wait to get started.
“I count it as a blessing and an opportunity to be the next coach at Bucyrus,” Gifford said. “Since I’ve been hired, there has been exceptional support from the administration, from the top down — (Superintendent) Mr. (Matt) Chrispin, (high school principal) Dr. (Javier) Singh, athletic director Matt Makeever.
“I’ve met with the other coaches in the (athletic) program,” he added. “It’s just amazing how excited everybody is. There’s a change coming to Bucyrus, not only in basketball, but the other programs. There’s a great synergy. I’m super excited about the opportunity and very thankful to have the opportunity to lead these young men.”
For more information on the summer schedule for Bucyrus boys’ basketball, go to www.bucyrusbasketball.com.