Patton is coming home to coach Swish

By John Kovach

The Struthers native and former Youngstown Pride coach believes the Youngstown Swish of the almost-60-member ABA will succeed.

BOARDMAN — Struthers native Bob Patton of Cleveland is returning home this year to coach the Youngstown Swish of the American Basketball Association because he wanted get back into coaching and make a contribution to the community.

“I’m here because I love Youngstown. I want to make sure I give back to my town and community,” said Patton Thursday morning during a press conference at the Youngstown Sports Grille announcing that he will come out of retirement to coach the new ABA franchise.

The Swish is one of almost 60 ABA teams nationwide and will begin playing a 32-game schedule, including 16 games at home, in December as a member of the nine-team Northeast Division that also includes Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago and Detroit, and possibly Canton.

“I hope we have the community that wants to give back and help us grow. I see no negatives [in this project],” said Patton, a former coach of the Youngstown Pride of the World Basketball Association and a Struthers High and Youngstown State graduate and former basketball player at both schools.

Patton was introduced as the new coach by Swish co-owners Dave Stambul of New Castle and Dennis Paige of Youngstown.

“The head coach is important. Patton turned me down at first but I pursued him,” said Stambul, a Mohawk High graduate and also a former YSU basketball player who is confident the Swish will succeed, even though three other former area pro basketball franchises — the Pride, Youngstown Hawks and Mahoning Valley Wildcats — didn’t make it.

“People have said that [pro basketball here] failed in the past and that it can’t succeed. Well, I disagree. Youngstown has a passion for sports. There is a interest in basketball in the community. If [the community] gives back to us [in attendance], we will succeed.”

Patton, who also coached high school basketball for 21 years, including at Liberty High, envisions the Swish as a positive force in the community.

“This is all good — an organization in the town that will employ people. This has to be good. The economy is suffering so this has to be good,” said Patton, who has been out of the area for 13 years and out of coaching the last two before getting the urge to return.

He believes past area pro basketball franchises failed because they didn’t get the community involved in the teams. He said the Swish will not make the same mistakes.

“We will get the Youngstown schools, all schools, involved” and also “boys clubs and the YMCA. We will hold a variety of programs and clinics,” emphasized Patton, who introduced his assistant coach, Mark Metzka, a former basketball player for Springfield High, Slippery Rock University and the Mahoning Valley Wildcats.

The ABA, with the distinctive red, white and blue ball, had its roots more than 30 years ago with Julius “Dr. J” Erving of the Virginia Squires and New York Nets, before the league merged with the NBA in 1976. The current ABA was founded in 1999 and has no affiliation with the original league.

“They were shooting 3-pointers before the NBA,” Stambul said. “It has a rich heritage.

“So it is growing over a solid foundation. The Mahoning Valley can prosper from that.”

The ABA has unique rules, including the 3-D Rule which adds an extra point to a 2- or 3-point basket made on a pass interception before the offense passes mid-court — which also means a possible 4-point goal.

“It will be fun basketball for the community. It will put people into the seats,” said Stambul, who is hoping to play some or all 16 home games at the Chevrolet Centre, perhaps partnering with the Chevrolet Centre High School Basketball Series to be part of doubleheaders with high school games.

Patton said the Swish and the Chevrolet Centre have had discussions about playing the team’s home games at the local arena, and both will meet soon with the high school committee to see if a three-way collaborative partnership can be reached.

Stambul, who has established a downtown office for the Swish in the National City bank building, said the first team tryouts will be held May 2 at the Cranberry (Pa.) Recreation Center.

Interested players should call (330) 747-9474 or (330) 774-5845.

For details, visit www.youngstownswish.com and www.abalive.com.

kovach@vindy.com