Barry Lewis: Longtime coaches’ retirements leave void in local basketball scene

During the past three weeks, three major longtime figures in prep hoops  have retired from their head coaching jobs.

Last week, Kelly Clarke announced he was retiring from his post at Chouteau, Clarke’s retirement came soon after similar moves by Claremore Sequoyah’s Tim Bart and Regent Prep’s Kerwin Dees.

This is Clarke’s third shot at retirement.

“We’ll see if this one lasts,” Clarke said Friday with a chuckle.

Clarke, 67, has spent 44 years in coaching. His record as a high school head coach was 446-354 in 32 years. Clarke coached at 16 high schools with head coaching jobs at 11 of them. He also was an assistant at Claremore Junior College, Westark and Drake.

“I spent a lot of time on the coaching carousel,” Clarke said.

For many, he is remembered most for leading Verdigris to a Class 3A state title in 2008 and coaching his nephew, Rotnei Clarke, the state’s all-time scoring leader. His longest stint was at Hale from 1990-98, as he led the Rangers to three state tournament berths. He spent one year as an assistant to Bart at Bartlesville and then led McAlester to the 5A state semifinals in his lone season there. Bart and Clarke shared a mentor — former Jenks coach Joe Holladay, who went on to be an assistant at Kansas and North Carolina.

Clarke also had success coaching girls programs — he followed his four years at Verdigris with four as Yukon’s girls coach and then led his alma mater, Collinsville, to its first state tournament berth in 28 years in his lone season there in 2013.

Clarke spent the past three seasons at Chouteau, where he had a winning record and reached the area tournament in his first year there, but the Wildcats only picked up 12 wins over the last two years. Although those years didn’t include as many wins as he hoped, they were satisfying in other ways.

“Except for Verdigris, as far as enjoying the kids this was right up there,” Clarke said. “They were like the old-school type of kids, they laid it on the line for you every day and give it all they had. And their parents are great.”

Clarke also was touched when the senior class chose him as the person to turn their tassel from one side to the other when they walked off the stage at commencement.

Just as the case with Dees and Bart, Clarke believed it was time for someone younger to take the helm. Chouteau assistant Travis Brannon was promoted to succeed Clarke, who is concerned about the overall state of high school basketball.

“At the end of each year I ask the kids if they wanted me to return as coach and they did,” Clarke said. “Having the same fundamental beliefs with everyone else involved in the program is hard to find. I still love the game but I’m getting older and I hate where the game has evolved. I didn’t allow any antics from our players on the court.

“There are now more negatives and positives with the high school transfer portal opening up. Nobody can anticipate where it’s going now. It’s going to be like the wild west. 

“I am thankful for what this game has provided me and my family. I can’t complain about anything. There are more good coaches than there are jobs.”

Clarke, Bart and Dees have combined for over 1,300 head-coaching wins and 120 years overall in coaching, a majority of them in the Tulsa area. They still have coaching in their blood, and none of them are totally committed to staying away from basketball. Dees will stay as Regent’s athletic director for his 50th year in education and help out as a girls assistant. Bart hasn’t ruled out winding up as an assistant somewhere and Clarke could also wind up on a bench somewhere.

“I still have a passion for the game,” Clarke said. “It’s been a fun ride.”