Former assistant is new girls’ basketball coach
By: Bob Nuse
Byron Conover got his start coaching basketball earlier than most.
"I got out of high school and didn’t go to college right away," Conover recalled. "I knew I wanted to work with young people and I was 19 or 20 at the time and the church I go to is associated with the Faith Christian School. They had a basketball team and I mentioned that if they needed a coach, I would be willing to help. I started at the middle school level and worked two years with the boys team there.
"Once I started at college, I took a middle school job coaching at Newtown Friends. I coached the middle school girls there one year, that was my first year at (Philadelphia Biblical University)."
Since those early days of coaching, Conover has continued to gain experience at various levels. And now, he’s preparing for his most exciting assignment yet. After one year as varsity assistant and junior varsity coach of the girls’ team at West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Conover has been named the school’s new varsity girls’ coach.
Conover takes over for Beth Fitzpatrick, who stepped down after the conclusion of last season.
"I learned so much from her," Conover said of his one year working with Fitzpatrick. "She is a great friend and a great teacher. The girls love her. I was able to just sit back and watch her and learn, not just about basketball, but how to deal with people and run a program. I want to keep the tradition going. The school has had two successful coaches with Beth and Mr. (Dan) Hussong."
Conover certainly feels as though he is prepared for the responsibility that goes with being the head coach. His coaching road has had quite a few stops, and each one offered a different lesson to prepare him for his biggest opportunity yet.
In addition to his stops at Faith Christian and Newtown Friends, Conover has coached Cedar Grove Academy and Conwell Egan, both in Pennsylvania. So while many of his friends were trying to decide what to do when they finished college, Conover was already coaching at the varsity level.
"That was already my third year of coaching by then and one of the guys I was going to school with was the varsity coach at a school in Philadelphia," the 33-year-old Conover said. "He told me they needed a girls coach, but I wasn’t sure about it because I was still playing college ball at the time. But I was able to work it out and I took my first varsity job at Cedar Grove Academy when I was only 22 years old.
"That was my first high school varsity job and it was different because I had seniors on the team and I was only four years older than they were. I did that for two years. After that I was involved with the Keystone Games and I did basketball camps in New Hampshire. I was assistant varsity coach at Conwell Egan for a year and I learned a lot there. I learned a lot about how to handle certain situations and that was a big-time league, so it was good competition."
He also learned quite a bit in his one season as an assistant under Fitzpatrick. And now he’ll look to fill the shoes of the very successful coach.
"I have experience and I’ve been here a year, so I know the girls and they know me," said Conover, a Bordentown High graduate who played football, basketball, baseball and track in high school. "In one year I’ve just gone from the guy making the suggestions to the guy making the decisions. But I know I’m ready. I have the experience and Beth is still there at the school, so she’s able to help me out. We were always one the same page when we were coaching together.
"I think the kids respected both of us and I always felt like I was on an even par with her because of the way she treated me. I have to have the same kind of relationship with my assistant coach. I couldn’t ask for a better teacher."
For the girls at South, the transition to Conover should be a smooth one as he has worked with many of the players already.
"Byron comes to us with a solid resume of work in some outstanding girls programs, including a year as assistant to Beth Fitzpatrick," WW-P athletic director Marty Flynn said. "He brings a dedication and work ethic that will keep our program at the top of the CVC. He is a teacher of the game and has demonstrated the leadership qualities needed to provide guidance to our girls in the classroom, on the court and in their development as young women. We are happy to add Byron to our school community."
Conover has already been busy with his team this summer. He feels like there has already been a solid foundation laid for the continued success of the program.
"We played 12 or 13 games in the Bordentown Summer League," Conover said. "We also had some open gym time on Tuesday and Thursday nights. We had a weightlifting program going and we’ve also had some clinics going.
"Danny Earl, who played at Penn State, and Matt Langel, who played at Penn, they have the Next Level Basketball Camp and they’ve come up and done clinics for us this summer. We had four or five clinics with 17 or 18 girls at each clinic, which I thought was a real nice turnout. They’re professional players and it’s nice to have them come up and do that. I think it helped us a lot."
Conover feels like he has a team that is going to work hard all the time. And for him, that’s the first big step on the road to success.
"The girls worked hard all summer," Conover said. "When you get 18 or 19 girls to come out on a consistent basis all summer, it shows me how dedicated they are. I’ve always believed the work you put in during June, July and August makes you better in December, January and February.
"It will be a little different because it is a new system. It’s exciting. I hope the girls and the community will be patient and we can keep the tradition going. The kids have been great and I just have to be the teacher that I am. This group really wants to step up. We’re going to hustle and play the same great defense, which are the things that Beth instilled."
For Conover, it’s an opportunity to put all he has learned to good use. And with his vast experience, he has plenty to offer the girls at WW-P South.