Coach Bess, a good man on and off the court

To the Editor:

Well it has finally happened. Mister, or should I say, Coach Longevity, has finally decided enough is enough. After 50 years, just at Three Rivers College alone, and 1,300 victories, an icon is cutting down his final net.

Legendary coach Gene Bess has announced his retirement from NJCAA basketball. The things I am about to write are from personal experiences with this man during the four great years of being the Voice of the Raiders.

A few years ago I wrote about him and the way he and his son, Brian, actually led me down my journey to accept our Christ in savior, Jesus. This is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. But, there is another side to this man. Actually more than that. He is funny, charismatic, caring and intelligent, but foremost, a friend to whomever he comes in contact with.

I remember my first games with the Raiders. We travelled to Mattoon, Illinois, to take part in the Laker Classic at Lakeland College. This is actually where we saw Gabe Grant playing for a rival in the tournament, Don Bosco Prep. Coach always met with the team at the hotel in his room to go over game strategies. Coach and I roomed together on the road so when he held his meetings I would depart the room. Now to set the scene here, coach and I were perfect roomies. I snore pretty bad my wife tells me and coach has a hearing issue so he cannot hear me at night. Plus, coach loves the room cold at night as do I. Going back to this story, when I left the room I grabbed up my iPad and told him I was going to the lobby area to read and to just let me know when he was done. So, there I was, sitting across the front desk and right inside the entrance doors to the hotel. The sun was coming through, it was cozy and yes, I did fall asleep.

Remember the snoring issue I spoke of earlier? This is now going to come back to haunt me. I opened my eyes to see coach sitting to my right in another chair. I looked at him and he had this grin building up on his face. I asked him, “Was I snoring?” He just nodded yes at me, still with that grin on his face. I then asked him, “Did anyone walk by?” Same response, but the grin was getting bigger every second. Finally, I asked the clerks behind the counter, “Was I really snoring or is he messing with me?”

What did they do? Stood there, smiled, grinned and nodded yes. So this just tells you the lighter side of Gene Bess. Oh there were other scenarios, but those are ones I am going to savor on myself.

Coach was also one who cared more about his players than people would ever know. I can still hear him as the team bus would be backing up, late at night next to the Bess Activity Center. Coach would always stand up and tell his players, “Get up and get to class in the morning” or if it was a Saturday night game, “Get up and go to church.”

One more scenario I remember occurred during my first year as well. We were playing our annual jamboree at Evangel College in Springfield. A jamboree is when you play scrimmage games against other schools. The Raiders were preparing to play their first game and I watched coach go over to first year player, Justas Furmanivcius. I have a picture of these two and you can see where Coach Bess was coaching him and working with him in the middle of the court. Coach had his rules, which some did not care for. When I say some, I am speaking of fans. The players understood clearly coach’s rules when it comes to their attitudes and behaviors on the floor. For example, if you attempted to dunk the basketball and missed, you were coming out of the ball game during the next time out. If you received a technical foul, you were on the bench for the remainder of the game. There was no mistaking his rules and beliefs. All in all, Coach Gene Bess, in my mind and heart, is a remarkable, loving, humble man who loves his families deeply. I say families because he has two. The Bess’ and the Raiders.

Coach, God Bless you my friend and I wish you and Nelda all the happiness our Christ our Lord can bring you.

Oh…and now you are not hampered in going St. Louis to watch Kiley. GO BILLS!!!

Roger Burton

Poplar Bluff, Missouri