Photo courtesy LEMOYNE COLLEGE
Lemoyne head coach Steve Evans, left front, with his father, assistant coach Stan Evans, left rear.
ROME - It's been quite a month for coach Stan "Buddy" Evans. The local basketball legend is fresh from the national media spotlight when the Lemoyne men's basketball team upended his alma-mater Syracuse University in an early season exhibition game. Now he has received honors for his place as a former teacher, coach, community leader and role model in the City of Rome. Evans, 71, who spent decades coaching basketball and baseball in the Rome City School District, now is an assistant coach for Lemoyne under head coach Steve Evans. That's right, Steve Evans, the little kid that spent most of his youth at his father's side on the gym floor at Strough Junior High, now spends much of his day practicing what dad preached. It's a relationship about love, not money (Dad only gets a couple thousand dollars), and it's a love for the game, a passion for people, and a desire for perfection that father and son share. As a "volunteer" coach for Lemoyne, Evans is proud of his son Steve. "I know how hard he works, and I've seen him succeed and fail," he said. "I am proud of the way he handles both." The coach is also happy to spend time with his son. "The long bus rides are no fun," he said. "But it's great to stay in the game." It's the kind of family relationship, and character, that Rome School Superintendent Jeff Simons would like to perpetuate. "This is a man that made a difference in the lives of many Rome kids, including myself," he said. Simons recently brought the idea of naming the new gymnasium at Strough Middle School after Coach Evans to school board members Pat Reidel and Lou Daniello. "We lit up like Christmas trees," Daniello said. "This board is committed to the principles of fair play, achievement at all levels, and inclusion...anything that fosters good sportsmanship...and high moral standards." As renovations at the old gym progressed this past summer, Simons spent a great deal of time monitoring the activities. "Every time I walked in that gym this summer, all I could think about was Coach Evans," he said. Daniello went to work. He began to circulate petitions to gather the necessary 100 names required to initiate a board hearing on naming rights. "What I wanted was a big response from those people that have been touched by Coach Evans," he said. "We got it." Using old-fashioned paper petitions at hot spots around town, and a mini public relations campaign on the social networking Internet site Facebook, the signatures, and accolades, poured in. "I'm in!" exclaimed Rob Peterpaul on Facebook. "He is a great Roman who dedicated his life to the children of Rome." "Absolutely nobody MORE deserving; fantastic idea and I hope it happens," added Tricia Austin Macri. "Thanks coach for all you've done and especially for Roy! God bless." For those who don't know, that is quite an endorsement from the family of Roy "Peanut" Austin who was one of Rome's finest ambassadors of goodwill and friendship. He was also one of many young men, and women, Coach Evans can be proud of mentoring. "He taught me how to do a headstand when I was in first grade," said Ida Giannico. "All of us...were his kids at one time or another." But it wasn't always a huge display of affection from Coach Evans that made an impression. As a former baseball player coached by Evans, I remember like yesterday a series of interactions that began with coach pummeling line drive after line drive at me during practice one day, after I muffed a couple, and saying something like "Get your head in the game Entelisano, you can't play for me like that!" An outsider would think he was angry, but everyone who played for him knew he was right. The next day I did play for him. A normally "chippy" hitter, singles and an occasional double, I finally caught one just right and hit my only home run. Tradition dictated your teammates would meet you at home plate for a celebration. For me, it was Coach Evans at the front of the line, grinning from ear to ear, that made me realize the character of a great man. Just then, he wasn't happy for the team, it was all about me. He had a way of making everyone feel special at some point in time. Daniello agreed. "His great love for each and every kid is just unparalleled by any other coach that I can personally remember," he said. "We knew that he loved us, and that he cared about our physical well-being, how we felt about ourselves, and how we reacted with competition and sports and sportsmanship and good character...He was more of a teacher than anything. He taught so many people, and there are many testimonies coming in from the public to that fact that say that this is the right thing to do." The new gym is still in the same location at Strough, however, major renovations are now complete. "It's brand new in every way," said Daniello. "New floors, new ceilings, new lockers, new paint jobs, new bleachers, everything. It is only fitting that the house, basically, that Stanley Evans built, be named after him." Basketball in Rome has never been the same. "The C program, Fran Alison, the Buddy Evans league, and both girls and boys youth basketball have all grown tremendously and have done well because of a lot of Evans' influences," says Daniello. "It's not like he was just in it for the glory; trust me when I tell you the guy is not a glory hog, he is a serious educator, a serious human being, and a great friend to everyone." "The custodian at Strough told me they saved "Buddy's" bench in the renovations," Simons quipped. "You can still see the spot that he always kicked." (Evans believed in "participatory coaching," kicking the bench whenever he needed to "vent") In a resolution passed by the school board Wednesday night, Nov. 18, the new gym at Strough Middle School was named for Coach Stan Evans. It read:
WHEREAS, Coach Stan "Buddy" Evans served the Rome City School District with distinction as a coach and physical education teacher for more than 30 years; AND
WHEREAS, Coach Buddy Evans has made significant contributions to the school district and community of Rome, New York; AND
WHEREAS, Numerous former players, students and graduates of the Rome City School District have gone on to success and consider Coach Buddy Evans to have been a critical mentor, coach and teacher throughout their schooling experience as well as a lifelong friend into adulthood; AND
WHEREAS, The enthusiasm for interscholastic athletic participation, school spirit and community pride shined brightly during each varsity basketball season for 22 seasons in the Strough Gymnasium due to Coach Evan's commitment to young people and the community; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: That the newly refurbished Strough gymnasium be dedicated in honor of Coach Stan "Buddy" Evans and renamed Buddy Evans Gymnasium; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That the President of the Board of Education is authorized ta take appropriate action to implement this resolution; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That this resolution shall take effect immediately.
Staff Writer Marissa Falitico contributed to this story
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