Longtime coach values students above records
By: Jim Green
Lawrence High School boys basketball coach Pat Tarrant never seeks the spotlight. Last week, however, it found him.
Every winter for the last 15 years, Tarrant quietly has gone about his business of keeping Lawrence competitive in an ultra-competitive state for boys basketball. And while he has been very successful, he always is quick to give his players and assistant coaches credit for the hard work they put in.
On Jan. 18, though, Tarrant received recognition that was long overdue, as he defeated Steinert 58-44 for his 200th career win. His players and longtime assistants Rich Babuschak and Antonio Stapleton presented Tarrant with a ball commemorating the tremendous achievement following the game.
"Everybody knew what was going on except me," Tarrant said. "I was very touched. It was a nice night."
It comes as no surprise Tarrant did not seek out acknowledgement of his accomplishments. From the time he took over a floundering LHS program in the 1990-91 season through today when his boys can go head-to-head with programs like Trenton Tarrant has been focused on only one thing: teaching.
"I can’t imagine Lawrence basketball without Pat Tarrant coaching it," said Ken Mason, in his seventh year as Lawrence athletic director. "He brings so much energy to everything he does, as far as the season and the players and the whole atmosphere. It’s typical of him, putting everything before himself."
And Tarrant’s focus on teaching never wavers, even in a year such as this, when his team is among the best in the Colonial Valley Conference.
"We’re winning more games this year, but it’s not about wins and losses," said Tarrant, who also has coached the Lawrence boys tennis team the last four spring seasons. "You get to go to the gym and you get to work with a good group of guys. Some years, you might have more talent, but every year, the process is the same and the relationships are the same."
And those relationships never really go away, as Tarrant was reminded last week.
"I’ve had time to reflect on the kids I’ve coached," he said. "I’ve gotten e-mails from some of my former players and teachers I’ve worked with in the past. It’s nice to reflect a little bit, but we’re having a great year, and it’s time to move on."
As much as Tarrant would like to focus the spotlight on his players and their outstanding 8-5 season which includes wins over Hillsborough, Hopewell Valley and Hunterdon Central, in addition to Steinert his career accomplishments deserve recognition.
That career began 22 years ago at Notre Dame in Pennsylvania, where Tarrant coached three years before moving on to Morrisville, Pa., where he coached another four.
"It was very tough to leave both places," he said. "I was looking for a place to settle in and coach for 20 years. I was looking for some professional and personal stability. I found that at Lawrence. It’s been a great position for me. I’ve enjoyed the last 15 years."
He has enjoyed all 15 with Babuschak sitting next to him, and the last 10 with Stapleton. For the first 10 years here, Rick Smith was the Middle School coach, and for the last five, it has been Brian Carter. According to Tarrant, that stability has played a huge role in his ability to reach 200 career wins.
"Getting to work every day with those guys is a big plus," he said. "It’s unique in the area. It’s been a real tight group a lot of consistency with our coaches. We’re all on the same page. We pride ourselves on being teachers of the game.
"They’re all good guys to be around. I’ve been real lucky with the athletes and coaches I’ve been around throughout the year."
The consistency also helped Tarrant who took over as Cardinals coach in 1990-91 following a season in which the previous coach resigned work through some tough times his first few years at Lawrence.
"It was kind of in disarray," he said. "It was a rough period of time. We were not competitive in the league for a number of years. We kept making steady improvement."
In 1991-92, the Cardinals slogged through a 0-22 season, but Tarrant was not going to be stopped in his quest to bring the Lawrence program back to respectability. Just four years later, he would lead the Cardinals to their first win over Trenton during his tenure, and in 1999, he guided Lawrence to the Central Jersey Group III sectional title and a spot in the finals of the state tournament. Along the way to the sectional crown, the Cardinals won a semifinal game at Hightstown a place where they lost just a week before in what Tarrant considers the highlight of his coaching career.
"We were 0-22 in 1991-92; seven years later, we found ourselves in the state championship," Tarrant said. "It looked like it would take forever to get competitive. We went beyond that. We’ve had some great guys. I’ve been very lucky."
That has continued this season, as the Cardinals hope Tarrant’s 200th victory will be cause for just the first of many celebrations. After playing an out-of-conference schedule that included games against the likes of St. Patrick of Elizabeth, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hunterdon Central, Hillsborough and an upcoming tilt with national power St. Anthony of Newark, the Cardinals appear more than ready for the best the CVC has to throw at them. The Cardinals are 6-2 in the league, and had a recent five-game winning streak snapped Friday with a one-point loss to Trenton, which almost is as good as a win.
"I just know, since I’ve been here, he (Tarrant) has been part of this program," Mason said. "He went through a winless season, and he just built the program. When he came to me with the schedule for this year, I thought he was crazy. Obviously, he knows what he’s doing, and he sure got the kids ready for the league. That’s the type of person he is. He’s always doing it for the kids, and he always has been. He’s an easy guy to work with, because he just wants to make the kids better and the program better. It’s in his blood."
While coaching may come naturally to Tarrant, he knows it won’t last forever even if the Lawrence community and school district gladly would have him on the Cardinal bench for another 15 years.
"I keep waiting for the time when it takes a lot of effort," Tarrant said. "It gets harder every year. But when it gets around to the first of November, I get geared up again. It’s exciting, and the teaching makes it exciting.
"I was shooting for 15 (years). We got to 15, now I’m heading towards 20. We’ll see after that."

