Gene Pieper, who has 27 years of experience, takes over the Zephyrhills boys team.
By GREG AUMAN
Published June 8, 2004
WESLEY CHAPEL - Gene Pieper had retired to a home in Meadow Pointe, put the harsh Wisconsin winters in his past and was enjoying golf as a member at Lexington Oaks. Ultimately, he knew exactly what was missing.
The 62-year-old had coached basketball 27 seasons at Wausaukee High, winning 13 conference championships, one state title and 457 games, but the memories weren't enough.
He'll make his return to courtside this winter as boys basketball coach at Zephyrhills, where he hopes to resurrect a strong program as his last coaching challenge.
"I'm happy to be back in the harness, like an old plow horse," said Pieper, who takes over for Tom O'Donnell, who retired last month after a 9-94 record in four seasons. "Old coaches, they still get a little bit of the fire. I really, really missed it, and when this opportunity came up, I went and applied, and now I'm real happy to have the job."
Zephyrhills has the county's only two boys basketball state championships, in 1962 and 1964, but the program has struggled in recent years. Graduation took all but two players from last year's varsity squad, leaving Pieper (pronounced PEEP-er) with much rebuilding to do with the Bulldogs.
"He definitely has his work cut out for him," said athletic director Craig Milburn, also a longtime Bulldogs coach. "I'm excited to get somebody of his quality here. We wanted someone who would have to know it'd take three or four years to see the benefits of what he's doing, and he's talking about his program in terms of at least four or five years."
Pieper, who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in October, is now the county's newest and most experienced coach, joining the basketball ranks with the same kind of impressive out-of-state resume as Pasco football coach Dale Caparaso did last fall.
He has followed the county's high school basketball scene since moving here two years ago and said he understands what it will take to make Zephyrhills competitive again.
"It's going to be a challenge, no doubt about that, and it's not going to be a Band-Aid fix," Pieper said. "We have to get to the younger programs and work at it there. It takes good players to win games and you have to start by developing those. We have to get up to the caliber of the Wesley Chapels and the Ridgewoods."
Pieper applied for the Wesley Chapel job last summer, but that went to Tampa's Doug Greseth, who led the Wildcats to the second round of the region playoffs. Pieper is the second boys basketball coach hired this offseason, following former Nature Coast Tech coach Rob Strong, 34, who was named last week to replace Gary Allen at River Ridge. Boys basketball coaches in Pasco County earned a supplement of $2,669 during the 2003-04 school year.
Asked if there was any philosophy or principle that typified his coaching success, Pieper said it was his ability to adjust and not force one style of play on a group of players unless it suited their strengths.
He'll use this summer to evaluate what he has at Zephyrhills and enter the school year optimistic and eager to return to the hardwood.
"I have no idea what I have at Zephyrhills, but I'm looking forward to finding out," he said. "My basic philosophy is I want everyone to play hard. You don't always play well, but you can always play hard.
"We'll do that and see if we can win some ballgames. I don't foresee another retirement for me for a while. I have friends in Wisconsin coaching into their 70s."
