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After covering the Trimble vs Belpre game last night I am convinced this may be Howie's best coaching job ever. The guy doesn't have a single player over 6-foot tall, the bench is not very deep, he losses one to injury early in the game (two more take seats with foul trouble) and still finds a way to win at Belpre (very tough place to win) 58-44 to improve to (8-4) overall and (7-2) in the Hocking Division.

I've probably watched over 30 teams this year and Trimble might be the only one that plays the game right. Their clock management is darn near perfect, I must have seen 30+ bounce passes throughout the game, they change defenses multiple times throughout. 1-2-2 on one possession, man-to-man the next, sometimes they trap, sometimes they press. Their spacing on offense is darn near perfect, you never see two players in one spot, they are constantly moving the ball, basically passing you to death until they find a good shot to take. When he was down players in the 3rd (injury and foul trouble) he goes to a 'stall type' offense, drains the clock and buys time until he can get the two players with foul trouble back in the game. With just an 8-point lead with 4:30 to go, he runs the stall again until finally Belpre is forced to foul - and the 8-point lead turns into a 14-point win by games end.

Well coached teams take care of the basketball - and despite some of his best ball handlers on the bench - Trimble commits just 11 turnovers for the game. They also hit free throws. Randy Hixson/Max Hooper were a perfect 17-for-17 in the game from the charity stripe. The team went 19-of-24.

With just ONE senior, ONE junior and THREE sophs starting - and none of them even 6-foot - how this guy has his team in 1st place in the Hocking Division is simply amazing, IMO.

I hadn't gotten on preps yet this morning when 93bulldog texted me about Howie and the Trimble game last night ... I texted back my thoughts on Coach Caldwell - here's what I texted to 93dog :

"Howie is awesome! We've both watched him for a long time, he teaches & coach's based on his talent ... we've seen Howie do it when he was loaded at Eastern - talent , size, scorers, basketball studs ... and this years Tomcats that are NOT the most talented by any means BUT they have been TAUGHT the game, they EXECUTE at both ends of the floor the way it should be done ... THAT is a direct reflection of the head coach /Coach Caldwell - the coaching /the teaching of the game ... when I went to Glouster to watch Trimble vs Miller this season , I crossed the floor to get a pic of the lineups from the scorers table ... Howie recognized me on my way back, talked to me like he's known me forever - and that was but the 3rd time we had ever met! ... Coach Caldwell is a special coach/teacher of the game ... he is approachable/down to earth ... definitely a GREAT coach & just a good person in my book ... "

... another little anecdote on Howie ... the very first time I met Howie was at the Beasts of the Southeast in Chesapeake , I was in the Cheap Seats prior to the Trimble game , I'm getting the napkin stat sheets ready to go, I look up and there's Coach Davis and Coach Caldwell - Howie wanted to meet ME ! we were introduced, he thanked me for what I do for high school hoops and I told him that it was ALL my pleasure to meet him ... tells me a lot about the man/person/coach/teacher that Coach Caldwell IS ... a coach that I had admired for what he does - coaching/teaching the game of hoops - came into the Cheap Seats to introduce HIMSELF to ME ... the coaching ranks don't get much better than Coach Howie Caldwell ...

A great guy indeed, Floyd. Off the court he is just a good ol boy, a Tuppers Plains farmer. You outta stop down to his stand on rt 7 and pick up some corn during the summer. But be prepared to talk some hoops though if he happens to be sitting there. Haha

93Bulldog wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:04 pm A great guy indeed, Floyd. Off the court he is just a good ol boy, a Tuppers Plains farmer. You outta stop down to his stand on rt 7 and pick up some corn during the summer. But be prepared to talk some hoops though if he happens to be sitting there. Haha

I may just do that ! take the Green & White '75 VW Bus - the Pfloyd Westy - down to Tuppers Plains - take a chair & spend an afternoon with Coach Howie talking hoops this summer ...

Nice game recap and story, posts like these above lol is what keeps me going through the gray days of January and February until the boys of spring get here lol. Good stuff men.

Well said......

This is a good rendition of what goes on not only now at Trimble but under a previous era one coach removed from Howie. That coach had some of the same things going on. Let's hope the powers don't get to Howie the way they did that coach. He left and it took several years to get him back involved.

Every game is a coach's clinic with Caldwell - Best in the league!

bburner wrote: ↑Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:17 pm Every game is a coach's clinic with Caldwell - Best in the league!

agreed. gotta love the stomping..

Been saying it for a long time Howie is one of great ones. He’s a master, I would want him as my kids Coach over anyone. Teachs life lessons and the way basketball should be played. go Cats

The Boy's are clean cut and respect HOWIE... He definitely knows his game plan...

93Bulldog,

Is the Slack boy still at Trimble?

Tyler graduated

One of Howie's losses this year is to a 5-10 NY team. In that game Howie's team blew a huge lead so I'm not sure I would enshrine him just yet.

And coach K has been bounced from the tourney by a 14 seed. Anybody can win or lose on a given night, no coach or team is perfect.

93Bulldog wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:30 am And coach K has been bounced from the tourney by a 14 seed. Anybody can win or lose on a given night, no coach or team is perfect.

My bad. I didn't realize that Howie was in the same category as coach K. I stand corrected, and I guess you are right then.

Deez Nutz wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:36 am

93Bulldog wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:30 am And coach K has been bounced from the tourney by a 14 seed. Anybody can win or lose on a given night, no coach or team is perfect.

My bad. I didn't realize that Howie was in the same category as coach K. I stand corrected, and I guess you are right then.

Don't try to reason with idiots, they always find a way to prove that people are more ignorant than you give them credit for.

When Coach Caldwell was at Eastern he had some very talented players and teams. It is important to note the difference. He had winning seasons with teams loaded with GOOD players, but on the flip side, he had winning seasons with average players but due to his coaching, made them great teams. I've always been impressed with his teams, they always play hard and he seems to get the most out of his kids.

d4 is not a juggernaut

Coach "Howie" Caldwell has 480 wins ... Coach IS a HOF'er by any/all parameters you want to go by ...

Fonzie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:49 am

Deez Nutz wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:36 am

93Bulldog wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:30 am And coach K has been bounced from the tourney by a 14 seed. Anybody can win or lose on a given night, no coach or team is perfect.

My bad. I didn't realize that Howie was in the same category as coach K. I stand corrected, and I guess you are right then.

Don't try to reason with idiots, they always find a way to prove that people are more ignorant than you give them credit for.

When Coach Caldwell was at Eastern he had some very talented players and teams. It is important to note the difference. He had winning seasons with teams loaded with GOOD players, but on the flip side, he had winning seasons with average players but due to his coaching, made them great teams. I've always been impressed with his teams, they always play hard and he seems to get the most out of his kids.

No worries Fonze I gave up trying to "reason with idiots" long ago.

No one has noted that Howie did really well at Federal Hocking too.

By some measures he's apparently on level with "coach K."