Flint Beecher boys basketball coach Mike Williams cried prior to Saturday's MHSAA Class C State Championship Game against Traverse City St. Francis.
Although Beecher won 74-60 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Williams was left with a bittersweet feeling. Despite capturing a state championship after being on its doorstep the past handful of years, Williams couldn't help but let his emotion take over, even after the win.
Williams coaches more than the game of basketball. He's a mentor and father-figure to his players, many of whom are missing that connection in their personal lives. A big brother, an uncle, a dad—Williams is more than a guy who instructs drills and blows a whistle.
And knowing that he'll no longer be that to seniors Antuan Burks, Cortez Robinson and Montana Gooch has put somewhat of a damper on what should be a joyous moment.
"They're going off to college and adulthood," Williams said with a trembling voice. "They had to be accountable to me—Cortez and Antuan for four years. Now, it's like 'OK. Now ya'll have to go.'
It was like a parent-child relationship. It really didn't matter to me if we won it or lost it (when) compared to them being successful in their lives."
Williams wants nothing more for his players to go on and live a happy, productive life. He wants them to find success in whatever they do, whether it's playing basketball or not.
He hopes that his players view their time at Beecher as time well spent. He wants them to take what they learned during the years of grueling practices, setbacks and success, and apply that in their routines for years to come.
That's what coaching is all about, not winning or losing.
"I'm their leader, but I'm their servant," Williams said. "They're ready to go off in their lives and be young men. That's the ultimate test for me… that they take the things that I taught them and be successful in life. Or they come back in 10 years and coach my son."
However, winning has been a tradition at Beecher, and even more so with Williams at the helm. The Bucs landed in the MHSAA Final Four in four of the past five years, but glory had eluded them—until this season, when they capped their incredible journey with a 28-0 record, the best in Beecher history.
With wins over several top-10 Class C programs during their trek to the Breslin Center, seniors like Robinson, Burks and Gooch will forever be remembered as members of one of the greatest teams in Beecher—and possibly state—history.
It was a fitting way to end the season, and an even more appropriate send-off for Burks, Robinson and Gooch, as each had spectacular careers.
"Those kids made that run, and to watch them go through the disappointment last year (losing in Final Four to McBain) and then to get back … for those kids, they put in that work," Williams said. "You put everything that you got into those kids, but I didn't know if we could win it all or not.
"And going undefeated, that was icing on the cake. It was extra special that they made history. Nobody will ever win more games than what they won. I'm proud. I'm humbled. Those kids earned something nobody can ever take from them."
Adam Biggers covered the Flint Beecher Bucs during his time at The Flint Journal. He maintains a close relationship with several area coaches, including Mike Williams, who is one of the most respected prep coaches in Genesee County.
Adam can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
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