The Aidan Harris Story

[Greyfriars Bobby]

July 31, 2017

As usual, Aidan was at his desk by 8:30. He enjoyed spending time with Kate and the kids in the morning, and since they were all early risers, the family could have breakfast together before the coach made his way to the John Paul Jones Arena offices.

His heart raced as he booted up his computer and opened his email. Three young men had visited Grounds this week, and Aidan was anxiously awaiting any feedback the players might have shared with him. Two of those visitors had been John Haginas and Brian Parris.

Among the unread messages in his inbox were the ones he was wondering about.

Aidan clicked on the message from Parris, which had been sent first. He smiled as he read it. Brian had enjoyed his visit, and was looking forward to hearing from the UVA coaches again.

Next, Aidan opened the email from Haginas. He and Parris knew each other from the grassroots circuit; they played on rival teams, John in Richmond and Brian in Hampton. They'd seemed to bond well on their visit.

Both young men were also good students, which was an absolute requirement for a Virginia basketball recruit. Haginas was especially talented in the classroom.

Another broad smile broke across the coach's face. He pumped his fist in the air when he read Haginas's words on his screen.

I had an awesome time on my visit. I could definitely see myself on that campus.

"I could definitely see you here too," Aidan said to his monitor.

"Talking to yourself again?" Brian Korn stood in the doorway of Aidan's office, holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

"Sometimes you just have to share good news with something, even if it's your computer."

Brian looked at the messages and agreed. It was good news indeed.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

September 11, 2018

Aidan paced the length of his driveway with his phone to his ear. When he reached the street, he turned and made his way back toward the house. Anyone who watched him would be able to tell he was frustrated. Or angry. Or both.

"I don't think he's paying a bit of attention to me. It didn't start out that way. Back in the spring I got the impression we'd be working together more than we are."

Steve Harris paused, letting his son vent. Aidan rarely complained. He usually faced even the most vexing situations with optimism. Steve could tell this was a different matter altogether. He carefully weighed his response before he spoke. When he did, his voice was calm.

"Remember, Brian's the head coach. Ultimately, what happens in the program is his call."

"I know that, Dad. But it's aggravating. I'd have offered John Haginas a scholarship on Day One. The number one player in the nation...an HOUR away from here...and we don't make the guy an offer? And while we wait, he signs with Wisconsin!" Aidan's voice rose, and he began another circuit of the driveway.

"Same with Brian Parris. Another Virginia guy. Top ten player. Good student. No offer. He's going to Louisville. We let another ACC school steal him right from under our noses."

Brian Korn had not yet offered a player a scholarship. He had visited three players at their homes in the past week. One of them was Haginas, who had nothing but positive things to say about the experience. But Korn didn't make him an offer, and David Phillips did. Haginas would be a Wisconsin Badger next season.

Another was a power forward from North Carolina named Steve Patton, the #9 player at his position in the country. Patton's parents said they'd love to see Steve play at UVA. But when North Carolina State made an offer, Steve and his family decided to accept it.

The third visit hadn't gone well at all. Aidan had spotted DeWy Hooper, an athletic forward from rural Pennsylvania, back in July. Aidan liked his smooth jumper, but his tenacity on defense was what made him special. Coach Korn paid him a visit, but DeWy informed him UVA wasn't in the picture.

There were a number of players who considered Virginia in their top three but most of them were not nearly as highly regarded. "Why are we looking at these guys right now?" Aidan asked his dad.

"Nobody gets exactly the players they want," Steve reminded him.

"I know that. OK, we don't get the Top Ten guys. Then why don't we take a shot at the Top 50 guys? Or even the Top 200 guys?"

Perhaps there was a good reason why Coach Korn was waiting to hand out his scholarships, but Aidan didn't see it.

"I'm going to have to talk to him about it," he declared.

"Be careful how you put it," Steve advised.

After he finished talking to his dad, Aidan went back into the house. Kate and the kids were running an errand, so he had time to compose himself before he faced them. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and slumped onto the sofa.

If I were a head coach...I'd do things a bit differently, he thought.

Or, would When I'm a head coach be a better way to look at it?