Phelan eager to rejoin Lakes' basketball family
One particular girl wasn't immediately sold on Brian Phelan becoming Lakes' new girls basketball coach.
She happens to be an important player. And her opinion matters.
Consider that Kendall Phelan, a fourth-grader, was going to play Junior Eagles hoops for her dad next winter.
"When I told my daughter I applied for the (Lakes) job, she was not too happy," Phelan said. "Before I even finished the statement, she goes, 'That means you're not going to coach me next year?' "
A dad smiled, his heart slightly broken, and tried to console his daughter.
"Once I interviewed and came home," Phelan said, "her next quote was, 'Well, I'm kind of torn. I kind of like the idea of you being the head coach, but I'm kind of not liking it.' I said, 'Kendall, opportunities sometimes don't always present themselves. And if you stick with basketball, maybe I could be your coach one day."
Phelan's heart is in it, so it could happen, even though Kendall won't graduate until 2023. He was named Lakes' coach this week, five years after he stepped down as Lakes' boys basketball coach because he knew in his heart that he needed to be, first and foremost, a father to his young children.
His Eagles posted double-digit wins in each of his five seasons. They went 20-8 in Year 3 (2007-08).
"I've been waiting for that right time, right situation," said Phelan, who's taught math at the Lake Villa high school since it opened its doors 10 years ago and was its first boys basketball coach. "I've had a lot of these kids (girls basketball players) in class. I see them in the hall. I'm in the building. It's just a good fit."
About a year after Phelan resigned as boys basketball coach, his wife, Tricia, gave birth to the couple's fourth child, Devin, who's now 4. Sixth-grader Tyler turned 12 this week. Kendall, the lone girl, is 10. Jordan is 6, in first grade and can't wait to hang out with his dad at girls varsity practices.
With all of his kids out of diapers and no longer needing a bottle, Phelan was ready to pacify his desire to coach again. Conveniently, a head job was open in the school where he teaches.
Pete Schneider resigned after six seasons. He won 69 games, which is Krzyzewski-esque considering Lakes racked up a total of 2 wins in its first four seasons as a program.
"My four kids are at that age where they're somewhat independent," Phelan said. "They take care of themselves in certain realms. My wife has been back to work for 4-5 years now, so things have just settled in where it's just the right time and the right situation. I got the blessing from my wife, got the blessing from my kids. They're involved in stuff, but they get it."
Before coming to Lakes, Phelan coached in the boys basketball program at McHenry. And, yes, he has had experience coaching girls high school basketball, as before McHenry he worked as a freshman coach at Lemont and Minooka. That was more than 15 years ago, but his adjustment should be smooth.
He takes over a program with plenty of veterans, including guard Ellie Haviland, who Kendall idolizes.
"I'm blessed with this situation going forward," Phelan said. "We have a lot of girls who have varsity experience. So trying to remind them or teach them what intensity is at the varsity level is not part of the equation right now. They know what it takes.
"The game plan is ready to go for the summer," he added. "They just got to be sponges, take in a whole new vocabulary and see the world of basketball through my eyes and the coaching staff's."
Heck, after all, the Junior Eagles bought in.
"We didn't win a lot," Phelan said. "We taught fundamentals, and during the course of the season more girls came aboard. It was a cool experience."
Lakes' varsity girls are about to find that out soon.
jaguilar@dailyherald.com
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