Three ACU students have coached the Abilene Christian High School boy’s basketball team to the TAPPS State Tournament for the first time in 30 years.
Michael Bacon, Colby Carr and Nick Smith, all seniors, make up the coaching staff for the 23-5 Panthers who are hoping to capture their first state title since the early ’80s.
“In a lot of ways, this has been a dream come true,” Bacon, the head coach, said. “Two be able to coach with two of my best friends, who are like brothers to me, has been pretty special.”
This is the first year that the trio have coached together at ACHS, but none are inexperienced to coaching. Last year was Bacon’s first year on the bench for the Panthers. A former player, Bacon was an assistant coach in the 2010-11 season, but after former head coach Mike Speraggins left, Bacon was chosen to take over.
“Being a basketball coach is the only job I have ever wanted to have,” Bacon said. “It’s been so special to be a coach where I played, a place that I hold near and dear.”
Carr has run basketball camps with his father for years in his hometown of White Oak, but is coaching the Panthers as an internship for his exercise science health promotions major. According to Bacon, Carr is the most basketball savvy of the three and is in charge of the defense.
“I’m blessed to have a full size concrete basketball court in my backyard. The camps were a vision first developed by my dad to have annual summer basketball camps emphasizing skills and mental toughness,” Carr said. “I’ve been doing it every summer since 2005.”
Smith, who is the Junior Varsity head coach for ACHS, has served as a student assistant coach on the ACU football team for two years.
“Nick and Colby have been unreal,” Bacon said. “They have both put in hours that they didn’t have to. We all kind of have a niche and it has worked out pretty well so far.”
Pretty well is an understatement. ACHS is now one of four teams left in the TAPPS 2A State Tournament. The Panthers earned a trip to the tournament after beating Waco Vanguard 54-47.
The team only has 11 players, but the state tournament stage is not new to most of them. Eight of the 11 won a football state championship with the ACHS football team in the fall.
“Basketball-wise this is unchartered territory,” Bacon said. “They are excited though. We have played good teams all year, and they are ready for this.”
They play Sugarland Logos on Friday at Mansfield High School at 7:30 p.m. If they win, the Panthers will play the winner of Dallas Covenant and Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills on Saturday at 2 p.m.
