Be proud to have Bihn as FR coach

Doug Bihn is coming back. And that’s a good thing.
Bihn’s job status was a topic of discussion at the March 12 meeting of the Fort Recovery School Board. Several members of the public spoke, expressing concern about whether or not Bihn would be retained as the coach of the Fort Recovery High School girls basketball team.
He will.
A recommendation to renew Bihn’s contract, as well as those of boys basketball coach Brian Patch and swimming coach Jill Vaughn, is on the agenda for the board’s regular meeting Tuesday. (All Fort Recovery coaches are on one-year contracts, and therefore are up for renewal each year.)
The concern about Bihn’s job status was apparently unwarranted.
Fort Recovery schools superintendent Shelly Vaughn said Wednesday she and the board went through their typical evaluation process for coaching positions. Not renewing Bihn’s contract for another year was never part of the discussion.
Regular evaluation is a good thing. There is always room for improvement, which Bihn would readily admit.
His record, however, speaks for itself.
Bihn had a tough task in his first season as he took over for Jeff Roessner. He had lost a 2007 senior class that had three four-year starters and had no seniors on his first squad.
I can admit that I had my doubts about that Tribe team’s chances at a winning record. It went 14-7.
In his six seasons leading the Indians, following nine years as the junior varsity coach, Bihn’s teams have never won fewer than 14 games. The 2012-13 squad posted an 18-5 mark.
The highlight of his tenure came during the 2010-11 season, when Fort Recovery won 18 regular-season games and cruised through the sectional and district rounds of the Division III tournament. The Indians beat second-ranked Lake in the regional semifinal round, and then stunned perennial power Africentric Early College 56-50 in the regional championship game.
They went to the state finals for the first time since winning back-to-back Division IV state titles in 1990 and ’91, falling to eventual state champion Anna in the state semifinal game at The Ohio State University’s Schoettenstein Center.
Bihn holds an overall record of 102-34 for a .750 winning percentage. Fort Recovery had won four straight sectional titles before falling to Minster in the championship game at Coldwater in February.
But his record is far from the only reason to keep Bihn around.
“Doug’s a great role model for our kids,” Vaughn said.
Absolutely.
Bihn can be a hard person to get close to. He’s a quiet guy. He doesn’t seek out the spotlight.
Sometimes interviews with him in his first couple of years, especially after losses, were like pulling teeth. But over the years, and especially during the run to the state tournament, I’ve gotten to know him.
We’ve had some long chats after games, talking well after I had put my digital recorder away.
Bihn cares deeply about the job with which he’s been entrusted. He cares not only about basketball and picking up as many wins as possible, but also about succeeding in his role of helping his players become outstanding citizens.
It’s a quality that should be valued, especially in the wake of the recent scandal with Mike Rice at Rutgers University.
When the time comes to vote Tuesday, the school board should approve Bihn’s contract renewal unanimously and with confidence.
Fort Recovery should be proud to have him as its coach.[[In-content Ad]]