Butch wins another district title — this time as coach
By Steve Ruman
Anthony Butch remembers the excitement of cutting down the nets as if it took place just last week.
In fact, it was 2001, and Butch and his Lakeview High teammates had just defeated Painesville Harvey to capture a Division II district title.
“That was one heck of a thrill,” Butch recalls. “When my playing career ended a year later, I remember looking back and being very thankful for that moment. At the time I never thought that I’d be in a situation where I’d be part of another team that would enjoy that sort of moment.”
Last Thursday, Butch did in fact get to relive the experience of a district championship — this time as a coach.
Butch, who served as a boys assistant at Warren JFK, Minerva and Akron Springfield, is now the girls varsity head coach at Massillon Jackson. Last week in a Division I district final in North Canton, Butch’s Polar Bears (16-10) used a 17-3 run over the game’s final five minutes to stun top-seeded GlenOak 46-39.
The victory marked the first district championship for Jackson in 37 years.
Jackson will meet Twinsburg tonight in a Division I regional semifinal at the Canton Civic Center.
“To see the look in these girls’ eyes, to see them celebrate, that was the greatest feeling in the world,” Butch said. “The players on this team became instant celebrities in the community.
“The win, it changed the landscape of our program. It’s cool again to be part of the girls basketball at Jackson.”
Butch spent much of his weekend breaking down film of Twinsburg and prepping his team for its showdown against the Tigers. He also dedicated a great deal of time reflecting on two men who he credits for leading him to a career of education and coaching.
“Frank Bubba and Cody Betts are the reason I am doing what I do today,” Butch said. “Quite honestly, because of their influence and what I learned from them, they in a way had as much impact on [Jackson] winning a district title as I did.”
Bubba coached for 20 years in the Warren school system, including five years as the head coach at Warren Harding. During the midway point of his fifth season with the Raiders in 2001, Bubba passed away from complications of cystic fibrosis.
Betts, a former head coach at Badger, began his coaching career as an assistant at Lakeview. He was also a student-teacher at the school while Butch was a student. Betts passed away in 2011 from brain cancer.
“Frank was a very close family friend, someone I had known my entire life,” Butch said. “I’ll never forget the day he died. My coach at Lakeview pulled me out of class to tell me the news, and it was as if I lost a family member.”
Asked to reflect on the lessons he learned from Bubba, Butch rarely speaks in basketball terms, but instead focuses on the personal relationships Bubba had with his players.
“I attended all of Frank’s basketball camps, I learned a great deal about the game from him,” Butch said. “But what I really remember about Frank was what a genuine, caring individual he was. He just very much loved his players, he cared about them as people, not in terms of what they could do on the court.”
Butch remembers many summer days when his family and Bubba would “just hang out at the swimming pool.” There were also the Sunday evenings when the group would gather to watch pay-per-view wrestling shows.
“Frank just lit up a room,” Butch said. “The way I deal with players today, I try to emulate what Frank did. And from a basketball standpoint, he worked so hard to bring out my best. I had no ties whatsoever to Harding, but he still treated me as though I was one of his own players.”
Butch was a freshman in high school when he first met Betts. At the time, Betts was a student-teacher at Lakeview, and Butch served as a student-aide. Betts eventually became a teacher at the school and served as a freshmen and junior varsity coach.
“Because of our mutual love for basketball, we hit it off right away,” Butch said. “Like Frank, Cody was such a caring individual who had a great passion and knowledge for the game of basketball. He never coached me directly, but I feel like I learned as much about the whole X’s and O’s of the game from him as I did anyone.
“Like Frank, Cody really steered me toward teaching and coaching.”
In fact, it was during his freshman year at Mount Union that Butch decided on his future. At the time, he planned on following the footsteps of his father into a career as a chiropractor. However, Butch found himself constantly reflecting on the lessons he learned from Bubba and Betts.
“At the time, I was torn on which way I wanted to go with my future,” Butch said. “I remember going to Cody for advice. He told me, ‘Do what your heart tells you to do, but know that if you get into teaching, you’ll never regret the impact you can have on young people.’
“Hearing Cody tell me that, and looking back at what he and Frank did for me, that kind of made the decision a lot easier.”
Butch went on to earn degrees at Mount Union and at the University of Akron. He teaches eighth grade mathematics in the Jackson school district, and is in his sixth year as a coach in the system. He took over the Polar Bears’ program in 2013.
Admittedly, Butch and his Polar Bears are in for a tall task tonight against Twinsburg. Regional appearances are nothing new to the Tigers, who have won seven straight district titles. The Tigers won back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012.
Still, Butch is eager to see how his team responds to the spotlight. And, win or lose, he is hoping that the lessons learned along the way will impact his player for years to come.
“Looking back, the incredible impact Frank and Cody had on the lives of students went way beyond the wins and losses,” Butch said. “If I can have that same impact, I’m doing my job as a coach and educator.”
Jackson and Twinsburg tip off tonight at 6:15.