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Mentor’s Krizancic treasures Valley roots
By Greg Gulas
AUSTINTOWN
Some basketball coaches choose to play a soft schedule, hoping to pad their record. Others readily accept a challenge, with the hope that it will prepare them for the tournament trail.
And then there is Girard native Bob Krizancic who if given a choice, would travel the United States and Canada in order to play the very best competition as he prepares for another run at a state championship.
The only prerequisite is that he gets to play a few home games.
Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches Monday at Luciano’s Banquet Center, the two-time state champion coach said he is appreciative of his Mahoning Valley roots and the local coaches who helped mold his coaching character.
“I played for Glenn Bower while in high school at Girard and he got me started because he taught the game in an understandable way,” said Krizancic who last season became just the seventh coach to guide a second team to a championship. “When I played for Dom Rosselli at YSU, I learned to keep things simple — execute but always do things right.
“Guys like Bob Patton and Floyd Kerr also taught me quite a bit,” Krizancic said. “I considered the late Eddie McCluskey, former Farrell High head coach, to be the very best high school coach in the country.
“He forgot more basketball than most coaches knew and was absolutely one of the great all-time basketball minds,” Krizancic said. “Once after a scrimmage, I had the opportunity to sit with him and could have listened forever to what he had to say about practice and game strategy.”
Krizancic led Girard to the 1993 Division II state title. His Mentor High team is defending Division I state champs.
In 34 years as a head basketball coach (13 at Girard and the past 21 at Mentor), Krizancic owns a 536-215 mark.
He said the past six seasons have been extra special because he has been able to coach his sons Cole and Conner.
His sons have helped the Cardinals to a combined six regional appearances, two state title games and a 129-29 record. Mentor was runner-up to Cincinnati Moeller in 2010,
The Cardinals are 91-17 the last four seasons with Conner on the team.
“It just doesn’t get any better than being able to coach your son or daughter, then watching them enjoy both team and individual success,” Krizancic said. “Cole graduated in 2011 while Conner was also quarterback on our state runner-up football team this past fall.
“With football signing day a few days away, he’s agonizing as he has to decide between Ohio University, the University of Minnesota and the Cincinnati Bearcats and that’s a good feeling,” Krizancic said.
This past weekend, Krizancic’s Cardinals played in the Huntington Prep Classic at Marshall University.
Since 2001,the Cardinals have played some of the nation’s best teams and talent at in San Diego, Tennessee, Arizona, Utah and West Virginia.
“We have a very supportive superintendent, principal and athletic director while the city, which has a population of nearly 55,000, is a great athletic community,” Krizancic said.
Under Krizancic’s tutelage, the Cardinals’ high octane offense has averaged between 84 and 91 points a game the past several seasons. They were ranked 21st by Max Preps and 25 by USA Today in the final rankings last season.