Dan Fife accomplished a lot over his basketball coaching career in Clarkston and on Friday he will add one more accomplishment – being inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame.
‘As far as awards go from the state, it is probably as high as you can get,? said Fife.
Though as he pointed out quickly a majority of individual awards are not individual awards.
‘Several people are involved, if not the entire community, are part of my success,? he said.
When he accepts the award on Friday, he is sharing it with the community.
‘I never feel on Friday nights, when our kids play and perform and if we win or lost that it’s strictly about Dan Fife,? he said. ‘I think it’s strictly the opposite. Anyone who has anything to do with the kids – either it’s custodians, lunch room ladies, bus drivers, teachers – they all have an influence on our kids. They are, in a small way, a factor of our success.?
Fife felt the same way last season when he achieved two milestones – the team hit 500 wins since he took over as varsity coach in 1982 and the boys made it past the Quarterfinals hurdle and into the playoffs.
‘One of my best memories is not just winning the Quarterfinal game last year in Grand Blanc. My feeling after the game was ? all those kids for 27 years ? this was not just this team,? he said. ‘This was every player and every team I have had for 27 years finally won one – all of us.?
Among the past players watching throughout the season was Clarkston High School Assistant Principal Gary Kaul, who grew up with Fife’s sons, Jeremy, Dugan and Dane and played for Fife in little league and on the varsity team from 1988-1990.
‘I have always thought the world of Dan,? he said. ‘He has always been committed to kids and athletics, particularly Clarkston. He has built quite a program being athletic director and he has always done it with a focus on education as well.?
A memory for Kaul is listening to the speeches Fife gave before and after a game. Kaul still listens to the speeches when he visits the team.
‘His message hasn’t changed,? he said. ‘The message is ‘what can you learn from what happened ot there today? What lessons can you take away to apply to your life??
‘Dan always says don’t get too high with the highs, and don’t get too low with the lows – it is a phrase that has stuck with me.?
It’s a lesson Fife learned early in he career. Though his varsity record is 508-140, he realized the negatives and the losses make a person who they are and he could teach it to his players.
‘It’s where your greatest lessons are learned,? he said.
Another player who listened to the speeches and is head basketball coach for Indiana University – Perdue University is the youngest of Fife’s son – Dane.
‘Coach Fife is a throwback coach combined with an ever evolving innovative mind full of contemporary ideals,? said Dane. ‘He gets young men to play the game hard, maximizing their potential. He teaches his players about the game of basketball as well as the necessities of life.?
As he touched every player and aspiring athlete at his basketball camps – he has touched the community and his coaches in the Clarkston schools.
‘For me he has been a great role model,? said Wolves Varsity Football Head Coach Kurt Richardson. ‘He has always been my hero.?
Richardson watched his friend play in high school, at Michigan and play professional baseball.
‘He is probably one of the best high school basketball coaches in the state,? he said. ‘It’s long overdue. He should have been inducted a long time ago. He has always set the bar for all the coaches around here very high for coaching excellence. For young coaches he is a father figure. I could not imagine Clarkston without Dan Fife.?
Tim Kaul coached the JV basketball team for the first 17 years Dan coached varsity and enjoyed being on the same staff.
‘Dan and I are on the same wavelength,? said Tim. ‘We felt strongly about playing a real good half-court man-to-man defense and we ran a very disciplined offense. Dan always demanded a lot of displicine and responsibility from the kids. I went with the program whole-heartedly.?
As many past players and coaches attribute their success and who they are because of Dan – he picked up some of his traits from his own hero – Mel Vaara.
‘I remember in 1957 when my dad took me to the old high school, which is the junior high, when we first moved here and meeting him and seeing him,? he said. ‘He was one of my coaches and one of my teachers, of all the people that have been in my life in the school system he has been the one here forever.?
Dan learned the Clarkston tradition from him and passed it on to his coaching staff.
He said Clarkston wouldn’t be the same without the people in the community.
‘Clarkston is a special place,? said Fife. ‘Clarkston people always work hard no matter what they do and they instill that in their kids and they are such a strong advocates of whatever their kids are a part of. We are such a strong family community. We believe in family. They are strong advocates either they are a part of athletics, band, robotics, whatever their kids are involved in ? the community is involved in and are very supportive of the programs in all of the schools.?
‘Coach Fife’s induction in the BCAM Hall of Fame is as much earned as it is deserved.? said Dane. ‘He has turned Clarkston Basketball into a very successful program, consistently winning with inferior talent.?
The BCAM Hall of Fame inducted their first members in 1985 to honor coaches successful for many years. More than 100 coaches are in the BCAM Hall of Fame. Coaches qualify by coaching varsity high school or college as a head coach for 20 years or more and/or accumulated over 300 wins.