There is both a uniqueness and an intrigue in a transitional challenge. Especially when you become mercenary and do decide to take a job as a young, ardent first year coach eager to move the needle.
For Craig Green, the challenge of revitalizing a floundering Boys HS Basketball program at Catholic High of Pointe Coupee (LA) was never an arduous one or even a weighable option.
When the Augusta, Ga. native crossed state lines, his initiative was to instill a 12-month culture with the Hornets, who had mustered a listless 3-23 record the previous year.
It was a program without big school fanfare and without rich local recruiting resources and massive, state of the art facilities.
Green was headed to a school that had been angling to put basketball on the same reputable plane as football in the community.
Green’s passion for coaching, mentoring the mindset of young student athletes on the court and off it, as well as his insatiable thirst for competition made the decision to cross state lines a no-brainer.
The 27-year-old tuned his trade as an assistant under legendary Savannah High (GA) coach Tim Jordan, he of 520+ career wins. Green discovered his coaching niche and player development drive during a hard chapter his life, while he was at one point homeless and in dire need of stability.
Green savored his time at Savannah.
A topsy turvy year in Florida’s murky, fly by night underworld of prep basketball at Central Pointe Christian Academy reminded him not to take anything for granted.
While he loved his time as a role model with the multi-team program at Central Pointe, sudden financial uncertainty hampering the post grad program eventually had Green pressing forward in search of his next opportunity.
Enter, Louisiana.
The inevitable challenge of turning Catholic around was minimal compared to adversity Green faced in previous, darker times. It was an opportunity to prolong not only his livelihood, but his calling.
“My mentality was to build my name and create a family culture with a premise based on hard work,” said Green, who went 13-15 with a berth in the playoffs in his debut season.
“Hard work not only on the floor, but hard work building relationships. Relationships were at the center of cultivating a winning culture. Once we built that “Brotherhood” bond, we felt success was bound to happen.”
Success didn’t come overnight and Green never vowed to change the world by the weekend. The buy in process, however, helped cultivate a team mindset with emphasis on daily goals and incremental improvement.
“The key principle that I teach the most is having your brothers’ back,” Green said.
“The mantra ‘The Brotherhood’ was something that we live by. It means no matter what– we love and care for each other. In the classroom, we do our absolute best because we don’t let our brother down. Which translates to the court. Caring for the man right next to you.”
The process didn’t come without scars and setbacks.
“At one point we lost three straight games,” Green said.
“Including two games in overtime by one point. After that, however, we we went on a four game win streak. Including a come from behind win, storming back from 20 points in the start of the fourth quarter, to winning by one point. So loving each other and resilience played a big factor.”
The desire to make basketball a bellwether sport on campus and revamp a dormant program resonated with Green’s players.
He cited wins over Collegiate of Baton Rouge, St. Edmonds, and Northside Christian as a portent of the team’s upward trajectory.
One player Green will miss is Ben Jumonville, who Green pushed and prodded to become a leader and one of the area’s noteworthy scoring threats. Jumonville increased his role from supplemental piece to focal point, increasing from 10 PPG as a junior to 19.4 PPG during his senior season and lone year under Green.
“Ben Jumonville isn’t a guy who immediately passes the eye test,” said Green.
“But Ben Jumonville is a player that you would want to play for you. Hard worker, a sponge to the game, he is a dead eye shooter and most importantly a leader.”
