It’s hard enough following a coaching legend without tripping on your own shoelaces.
Ben Smith struggled at Bradley Central as he took over a high school wrestling program brought to statewide prominence by Steve Logsdon, and Jim Higgins, though enjoying every moment – even those that wrenched his soul – found similar pitfalls while succeeding Steve Henry at Soddy-Daisy.
Baylor’s Ben Nelson was the only one of a legend-succeeding trio of local coaches who avoided a stumble when he stepped in to fill the shoes of Jim Morgan, who himself followed a legend when he took over for Luke Worsham.
“It was humbling to come in and see what he meant and what this program means to this school and this community, especially following Jim,” Nelson said. “You always remember what the expectations are.”
There is always pressure, whether external or internal, when following a strong presence.
“All I ever knew as a Bradley wrestler and assistant coach was winning, and I wanted to make Steve and (program founder) Turner Jackson proud and do the program justice,” Smith recalled. “I spent the first couple of years feeling that I had a huge weight on my back.”
After the Bears won the TSSAA Class AAA duals championship two weeks ago – handing Smith his first state title as a head coach – he said, “Now I can look Coach Logsdon and Coach Jackson in the eye.”
Nelson came to Baylor as an assistant coach, but insiders knew he would be groomed to take the program’s reins from Morgan and longtime wrestling strategist and assistant coach Schaack Van Deusen, a Worsham disciple. They were, each in his own right, legends, attested by the numerous championship trophies in the Worsham Hall adjacent to the wrestling practice room at Baylor.
“They were mentors,” Nelson said. “They’re what this program is all about, and my hat’s off to Schaack. When I took over, he stayed on two years, and he never said ‘This is the way we have always done it,’ or ‘This is what you need to do.’
“Schaack was a great mentor and a great assistant coach, not a member of the old guard wanting to hold on. Jim and Schaack were unbelievably helpful for a new coach coming in and learning the ropes.”
Higgins sought to follow Henry, who coached him to an unbeaten state championship senior season, and Smith had almost identical feelings about following Logsdon.
“It’s a challenge that I wanted, but there is definitely inherent pressure that comes with it,” Higgins said. “There were people who tried to talk me out of taking the job. I’m aware there’s a history of coaches struggling when following special coaches, and I’ve had moments when I thought I would be getting credit rather than expectations, but I’d rather be at a place with high expectations than none.”
Smith was also aware of the old saying that the smart man never follows a legend, though that didn’t deter him.
“When the job came open, I wanted to be the guy to follow the legend,” he said. “I wanted to continue to succeed and change lives the way mine was changed. It took a while because of the maturation process for a young coach.”
Higgins’ Soddy-Daisy program has dogged Bradley along the rebuilding trail. This season, the Trojans finished second to the Bears at region and state duals and then again last weekend in the region traditional tournament.
It was there that Higgins tripped over his laces, much as Smith did at a state tournament several years ago because of a spirited encounter with a belligerent fan from an opposing team. Smith, then an assistant coach, spent the evening on the team bus as Bradley wrestled to a state championship.
Higgins, though, won’t be on site tonight or Friday at the state tournament in Franklin (which continues through Saturday) after losing his seat at last weekend’s region tournament because of an unsportsmanlike conduct call. He felt the need to protect a wrestler from near-certain injury, and the official took offense at his actions.
“I don’t regret standing up for one of my kids. It was in his best interest,” Higgins said. “In hindsight, I wish I had dealt with the situation in a more appropriate manner. I never had an intention of displaying or conveying poor sportsmanship, and I regret bringing negativity to our program, my town, my school and my school system.”
So it’s good in a way that his legendary mentor is still around and can help coach the Trojans this week.
“It’s sort of like Michael Jordan coming out of retirement,” Higgins said. “Anytime you have him in the corner, it’s a really good thing. That said, I have great confidence in our coaching staff. Brad Laxton is a great coach in his own right, and Ashley Brooks has been an integral part of this program for a long time.”
The past few days have been especially tough for Higgins, who expressed the thought that he had fallen short of expectations – his own and those of the legend he followed.
That legend – his mentor – put the situation into perspective.
“He’s so far ahead in his career from where I was. The biggest problem is that he cares so much,” Henry said. “This week has devastated him, and justifiably so. Yet there are lessons in everything. That’s what I tried to tell him, and he’s handling it with class.”
Following a legend, as Smith put it, can be a curse and also a blessing.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.