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Mooney grad is named at Sebring
By JOHN BASSETTI
SEBRING
Over a 16-year period, Steve Beshara’s basketball coaching jobs have taken him from Ohio to Georgia and back again.
Seven years in that span were positions at high schools that ranged from medium-large to small in size.
Beshara’s most memorable was as head boys coach at Lafayette Allen East in western Ohio from 2004-06 when his teams won back-to-back Bluffton Holiday Classic championships.
In his newest position as head boys coach at Sebring, the 1987 Cardinal Mooney graduate is celebrating a trifecta: He’s landed a job at a small school, at a place with tradition and a place located in the county in which he grew up.
Although Beshara’s been accepted, his hiring won’t be approved until a board of education meeting on June 16.
Still, the 41-year-old Beshara is ready for action.
“I have a great deal of respect for the Sebring program and I’m grateful to have this opportunity,” Beshara said of the job at a school with 1,123 all-time wins and three state final four appearances.
Beshara follows the legendary Rick Brook, who coached 30-plus years, and Brian Clark, who coached the past 11.
The Trojans lost the state Class A championship game in 1970 to Cincinnati Lincoln Heights, 62-60, and lost state semifinals in 1973 in Class A and again in 2004 in Division IV.
Although Sebring’s 2009-10 record was 9-12, Beshara believes he can transform the Trojans based on returning personnel.
“We’ll have decent size and a good part of our nucleus back,” he said of the combination of both backcourt and frontcourt talent.
Beshara described his teams as “very aggressive” using man-to-man coverage. “We’ll be committed on the defensive end of the floor.”
He added: “I think getting stops and rebounding can lead to transition opportunities. I expect kids to share the basketball and find scoring opportunities within the system.”
Because of his experience with western Ohio schools, Beshara will take players to a team camp at the University of Findlay later this month. The objective is to get work against strong Div. IV programs.
“A lot of teams will be like Sebring — small and committed,” he said.
Although Beshara brings a 21-39 boys head coaching record with him, he’s been successful in other ways.
“I’ll focus on building relationships with players at all levels,” he said of an effort that will include staff and parents.
Beshara believes he’ll earn the players’ respect so they produce on game nights.
His previous most recent position was as girls coach at Alliance.
Once the 2009-10 season ended, Beshara started looking for opportunities in boys basketball.
The timing couldn’t have been any better when the Sebring job became available.
“I was looking for something that made sense. The opening in the tradition-rich Sebring community was a good fit,” he said.
After leaving Mooney, where he played football for Don Bucci, Beshara enlisted in the Air Force and served until 1990.
He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State in 1994, then returned to earn his teaching credentials from 1997-99.
He lives in Canton.