Dozens of Medomak Valley fans held 400 signs in the stands at Morse High School after the team’s 64-35 thumping of the Shipbuilders on Thursday, Dec. 28 earned Nick DePatsy his 400th win as a high school basketball head coach. It was a special moment for the community that brought a smile to his face after coaching his squad intensely during the 32 minutes of the match.
DePatsy’s players and coaching staff are the first to note that his focus is always on team achievements, but after the Morse game, DePatsy admitted that 400 is an important milestone and that he feels good about it.
“That’s a lot of games, and there are so many teams and kids I’ve coached and hopefully taught a thing or two,” DePatsy said. “I mostly care about getting to number 401.”
“Coach’s focus is on team play and making sure that everyone knows their role and plays for the group as a whole,” said Gabe Lash, a junior on the Panther squad. “He’s old school and demands and appreciates hustle and grit and not flashy and fancy plays. His priority is defense and everything builds from there.”
Cameron Martin, who played for DePatsy from 2013-2017 and is now coaching the JV team, said DePatsy is special because of how fully committed he is to the team and coaching.
“His basketball knowledge level is through the roof,” Martin said. “He knows how to support players and make them mentally tough so they can play through anything that’s thrown at them.”
DePatsy started his coaching career at Madison High School, where he won 36 games in three years. He then coached at Georges Valley for 10 years, where he won 94 games. He won 29 games while coaching Lincoln Academy boys for three years.
Since the 2007-2008 season, DePatsy had been the head coach of the varsity Panthers. In 2016, he earned his 300th career win at Medomak Valley after a 74-40 victory over visiting Mt. Ararat.
