The Aidan Harris Story

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Hello, everyone.

I'm going to be sharing with you the story of my coaching alter ego, Aidan Harris.

I'll be telling Aidan's story in third person. While the events of his coaching career will form the core of the story, I'll be adding story lines and details that will hopefully help you get to know Coach Harris as a person. You'll meet his players, his family and friends. Perhaps you'll get to know a few of his coaching rivals. He might acquire a nemesis or two. I don't know exactly how all these things will play out, because some of them will take shape as Aidan's career unfolds. Hopefully these plot twists will make the story more interesting to some of you, and even more fun for me to write.

If you'd prefer to only read about what happens on the court, feel free to skim over the posts, or portions of posts, that tell the rest of the story. I'll have rosters and standings and stats for all of you to peruse, partially because I like these things, too.

I'll be back soon with a brief look at our protagonist's background. I hope at least some of you will join me. I'll do my best to make it an enjoyable ride.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Aidan Harris couldn't remember when he first fell in love with basketball.

His parents, Stephen and Ellen Harris, both played basketball in high school. Steve and Ellen met as first year students at the University of Virginia--standing in line for tickets to a basketball game. They fell in love, and two years after they graduated with the Class of 1984, they married. They settled in Richmond, Virginia, where they taught at an independent school. Steve taught world history to sophomores, while Ellen taught fourth grade.

The morning of Thursday, February 25, 1988 was cold and windy. At a few minutes past 5 AM, the Harrises welcomed their son Aidan to the world.

Steve Harris would never have called himself a "basketball coach," although he did coach the middle school boys team. Ellen kept the scorebook, so little Aidan spent lots of time around the team. Before long, he became fascinated by the delightful world that revolved around that big, glorious orange ball. He loved watching his Dad's teams play, and he enjoyed family evenings in front of the television, watching UVA games. The Harrises made at least one trip to Charlottesville each season, which only made Aidan adore the 'Hoos that much more.

Aidan played for his father's team in seventh and eighth grades, and moved up to the junior varsity as a freshman. He spent his sophomore year alternating between the JV and varsity teams, and became a full varsity player in 11th grade. By then, Aidan was approaching his adult height of 5'11" (although he'd be generously listed at 6'0"). He wasn't especially quick, but he was an intelligent player who didn't make mistakes, took good care of the ball, and shot decently, especially from the free throw line. His team went 26-4 his senior year, making the Virginia private school Final Four, and Aidan made second team, All-State.

Still, Aidan knew he'd never be a good enough player to play for UVA, although he was definitely a good enough student to be accepted there. He was, however, both a good enough student to attend Swarthmore, and a good enough player to suit up there. So off he went to Pennsylvania.

Aidan won four varsity basketball letters at Swarthmore. He was part of the rotation as a sophomore and junior, and was the Garnet's sixth man as a senior. His career free throw percentage--nearly .900--was good enough to place him second on their all-time list. Even more importantly, it was at Swarthmore that Aidan decided he wanted more than anything to teach and coach basketball.

He graduated with a degree in history, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, with the Class of 2010. A few weeks later, he was hired at an independent school, much like the one he'd attended and where his parents taught; he taught U.S. history and coached JV basketball. The school was located less than half an hour's drive from Swarthmore, which worked out well for Aidan. By then, he was involved with a vivacious young woman with ash blonde hair named Kate Reilly, a fellow Garnet in the class behind his. Things were getting serious.

His boys rolled to an 18-4 record and won their league championship easily. That summer, the varsity coach took a job at a much larger, public school, and to his surprise, the AD offered Aidan the job. Playing solid, fundamental basketball and defending relentlessly, Aidan's teams began to win...and win, and win. Coaches he met at clinics were invariably impressed with Aidan's energy, his smarts, and his warm personality. One of the coaches he got along best with was Brian Korn, an assistant at Villanova who was making quite an name for himself. Brian was four years older than Aidan, and it was he who first asked him if he'd considered college coaching.

Aidan and Kate married in June 2013. They had a son, Connor, and a daughter, Emma. Aidan was happy; he loved his classes and his teams, and he was very good at what he was doing. Still, the question Brian Korn asked him never left his mind. He wondered if he'd enjoy concentrating on basketball, making coaching it his career.

One morning in the spring of 2018, Aidan sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. A news alert appeared on his screen:

"KORN TO VIRGINIA? HOOS SAID TO BE INTERESTED IN VILLANOVA ASSISTANT"

The Cavaliers had recently announced the retirement of their head coach, and Aidan had been following the story closely. Still, this piece of news caught his eye. He kept in touch with Brian, and Brian hadn't mentioned anything about looking for a new job. Aidan quickly texted his friend to find out if what he'd read was true.

It was. And there was more to the story, as Aidan learned later that evening when Brian called him.

"I'm ready to take the next step," Brian explained. "Whether it's at UVA or somewhere else, I want to run a program of my own."

"That makes sense," Aidan replied.

Brian paused for a moment. "What would you say to the chance to be a part of my staff?"

Brian's head began to spin. Coaching basketball at Virginia? Even as an assistant? It was the kind of thing Brian might joke with him about, but Aidan didn't think Brian was fooling around.

"I'd say I need to talk to Kate." Wise man, that one.

That is exactly what Aidan did, and Kate was on board from the beginning. "I've always thought you'd end up coaching at the college level," she admitted. "As much as you enjoy teaching history, you enjoy teaching basketball that much more."

Two weeks later, the University of Virginia announced the hiring of head men's basketball coach Brian Korn. Farther down in the news release welcoming Coach Korn to Charlottesville, UVA introduced the members of his staff. Oliver Burton, a savvy veteran assistant, was remaining with the program, serving as Korn's first assistant.

The next name on the list was that of Aidan Harris.

That's how Coach Harris became the second assistant coach at the University of Virginia.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Spring 2018

Here's the Virginia coaching staff for the 2018/19 season. As you can see, Aidan will be Coach Korn's lead recruiter.



The Cavaliers brought in the nation's #2 ranked recruiting class last season, a five-man Golden Generation that features three 5-star recruits. If Aidan can help Coach Korn achieve anything close to that level of success, the building blocks for an extended run of excellence could very well be in place.

[PointGuard]

Great start...well-written!

[jksander]

Agreed Keep it up ...

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Hi again, everyone.

I'd nearly forgotten about this dynasty story. When I got an email about the release of DDS: PB21 today, it brought my fledgling college basketball story back to mind, and I thought I'd revive it today.

Thanks for the supportive comments you made back in March. I promise I won't go seven months without updating from now on!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

June 25, 2018

As Coach Korn's lead recruiter, Aidan's first job was familiarizing himself with the Cavaliers' roster. A banner recruiting class, considered the second-best in the nation behind the crop heading to Kansas, had filled the cupboard nicely. The Cavs were ranked #10 in the preseason poll...but only fifth-highest in a loaded ACC. Duke (1), Louisville (3) Maryland (4) and Syracuse (6) were all picked to be better than UVA.



One of those incoming freshmen, Felipe Shine, seemed ready to assume a leading role from the day he stepped onto Grounds. A gifted scorer and a tenacious rebounder, the North Carolina product was already considered a five-star player. Aidan figured Felipe would start at small forward.

His classmate, L.B. Allen, had the inside track to start beside him at the four. An athletic, mobile big man, Allen had a lot to learn about the game, but he also looked ready to step into the starting five. L.B. liked to shoot from range more than Felipe did, making Aidan wonder if they might switch roles from time to time.

Kerry Morrissey gave the Cavs a third five-star prospect in the frontcourt. Kerry wasn't nearly as ready for prime time as his classmates, but Aidan agreed with the staff's conclusion that he might be the most dynamic player in the group by the time he left Charlottesville. Aidan wondered if Coach Korn was considering a redshirt for Morrissey.

Senior James Bosl and junior Roy Shumpert gave the 'Hoos two talented, experienced centers. Shumpert was the more traditional post player, while Bosl offered a decent mid-range game. Aidan figured both players would see significant playing time.

The team's only other senior scholarship player, Peter Perry, could handle either forward spot. He did many of the things Shine and Allen did, and did them almost as well. Peter's presence gave Coach Horn a degree of security in case one of the freshmen took longer than expected to adjust to the demands of college basketball.

The Cavs' backcourt didn't seem quite as talented. Point guard Jacob Bell was a skillful passer with a reliable jumper, but he lacked the elite ballhandling skills of a true playmaker. Cordell Kelly, another highly regarded first year, and junior Robert Bannon were competing for the remaining starting position. Kelly arrived with a reputation as a dangerous outside shooter. Bannon was more athletic and a superior defensive player.

Freshman Dondrell Diggs was Bell's primary understudy at point guard; he was raw, but very promising. Several other players--forwards Kyle Adams and Devin Gilbert, guard Shannon Nee--looked like they'd be scrapping for what playing time was left. Adams, in particular, was a good player, but he was competing with guys who were even better than he was.

Aidan liked walk-on Ike King very much. The popular senior had earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, and he was a talented player who had passed up several offers from mid-majors to walk on at UVA.

The Cavaliers would have two scholarships available to offer during the 2018-19 recruiting year. Aidan figured one had to go to a center; there were only two on the roster. It was unlikely the other would go to a forward. The presence of Shine, Allen, and Morrissey would probably make a recruit wonder if he'd get much playing time with UVA. Aidan thought it was a very nice problem for a program to have.

[Wayne23]

I missed this in March. Nice to see you revive it. Well done!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I missed this in March. Nice to see you revive it. Well done!

Thanks very much! I'm looking forward to seeing how the transition from assistant to head coach goes.

That is, if Aidan gets the opportunity to make that transition.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

June 27, 2017

Aidan looked forward to his role as the lead recruiter on Brian Korn's staff. Energetic, personable, and a shrewd judge of talent, he possessed a number of qualities that promised to serve him well. Kate removed his final doubts about the time he'd spend away from home, so he began his collegiate coaching career with a clear conscience.

Aidan and Brian sat in Brian's spacious office, looking over a file containing information Aidan had begun collecting on the Cavaliers' potential recruiting targets. One name stood out from the rest.

From the day he entered high school, John Haginas had been considered the best player in the high school class of 2018. John had grown into a long, lean 6'7" forward with a breathtaking array of skills. His home town, Farmville, Virginia, was not quite sixty miles from Charlottesville, so he had been well-known to the UVA staff for some time now.

"He plays the one position where we really don't need anyone," Aidan admitted. "But when you have the top recruit in the country right in your backyard..."

"You have to go after him." Brian finished the sentence for him.

"It would be a really bad look if John ends up at UNC or Duke." Aidan knew Haginas would be at the top of his list of targets for the year.

The Cavs needed a center, but they'd have to look much farther away to find a top-shelf one. A bruising 6'7" center from Texas named Rashawn Young was the most highly regarded big man in the country. Closer to home, Atlanta native Jamar Ahern was dominating opponents with his 6'8", 270-pound frame. The best center in Virginia was Moses Werner of Richmond, but he wasn't regarded nearly as highly as either Young or Ahern. Baltimore's Dan Miller was another option.

"I wonder if Brian Parris would be too small to play the five?" Coach Korn thought out loud.

"He's 6'6", but he's built like a tight end. That's exactly what he is during football season." Even though Parris was one of the top ten players in the nation, he loved playing football, and his team at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA was a powerhouse. So was Parris himself, a relentless rebounder and post defender.

"Even if he has to stay at the four, maybe [L.B.] Allen can move to the five. He's what, 6'8"? It might be worth it to have a guy like Parris."

"Let's go big, Aidan." Coach Korn smiled. "Make sure we have a Plan B, but let's take a shot at Haginas and Parris."