Administrators at Bishop Miege High School in the Kansas City suburb of Roeland Park didn't have far to look when they started a girls' basketball program in the mid-1970s.
They asked the local guy who was helping his daughter coach the St. Agnes Catholic School seventh- and eighth-grade teams across the street from Bishop Miege.
That gym rat, Terry English, grew up just a few blocks from St. Agnes. He had starred in basketball at Bishop Miege in the 1960s and went on to play at Rockhurst College – also just a few miles from home.
Of course, English said "yes" to the offer from Miege and also accepted a job as the school's physical education teacher.
That was 1976, and no one could have guessed what a legendary program English would build.
But here we are, 45 years later, and English is still helping coach girls' basketball and mentor teenagers at his alma mater.
After 22 state titles (and numerous other top-four finishes) and more than 900 victories, English decided to step aside as Miege's head coach after winning state title No. 22 at last year's Class 4A state tournament in Salina.
But just like 45 years ago, he didn't go far.
English still has a seat on the Stags' bench these days, but now he sits in the assistant coach's spot – right next to his youngest son, Jeff.
"There was no doubt he was ready," English said. "When he was in grade school, he would just be around at practice, but eventually he started paying attention and learning the game. So, yes, he was ready a while ago. I just wasn't quite ready yet."
English still isn't ready to give up coaching entirely, and thinks this is a good transition for everyone.
"We just switched places," Jeff said.
Again, just like 45 years ago, it seems like the perfect recipe for success. After all, Jeff was his father's assistant for 15 years before moving into the lead role. And his relationship with the Miege girls' team began long before that.
For as long as he can remember, Jeff tagged along with his father to practice.
"I tell people all the time that I never got grounded growing up," Jeff said. "If I ever got in trouble, I just wasn't allowed to go to practice with dad."
It's a safe bet that young Jeff didn't get in trouble all that often. He also hasn't had trouble stepping into his father's shoes as a winning coach.
The Stags haven't skipped a beat. They are 3-0 this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 68.0-37.3.
Jeff said other than maybe a little pressure of living up to the Stags' winning tradition, he feels he stepped into a great opportunity.
"It was such a great foundation that Dad built here," Jeff said. "It was a lot of fun watching it from afar growing up, then sitting beside him on the bench."
So what has made the Bishop Miege girls' basketball program so special since its inception?
"I think a lot of it is that Dad didn't coach girls' basketball any differently than he would have coached boys," Jeff said. "He pushed them hard and expected a lot from them, and they really appreciated that."
Jeff's dad also gives a lot of credit to the players – and their parents.
"I had great parents who sat back and let me do the coaching," Terry English said. "We got lucky at the beginning. We had some great kids from the start, and we began a winning tradition right away."
Players – many who have gone on to play at the collegiate level – say it's English who made Miege basketball special.
Corey (Sweeney) Engmann, who played for English in the early 1990s and was part of three state champion teams.
"You couldn't get a better coach after Terry than his next of kin," said Engmann, who went on to play at Division I Creighton University for four years.
"Jeff already has the respect of the kids, and he has the same passion for the game as his dad," Engmann added. "Terry had an amazing work ethic, and I don't see that changing."
Engmann now coaches her own daughter's youth basketball team, using a lot of the same philosophies she learned in high school.
She was quick to answer what she learned about coaching from English.
"I would say everything," Engmann said. "He taught us how to get through hard losses, which translates to so many things in life. It was really hard to find any coach before or after him who holds a candle to him. He set the bar so high."
English said he not only enjoyed winning but also watching his players succeed after they left his program.
"That's what it's all about," Terry said, "watching them grow up and become adults and the decisions they make and watch them with their kids."
For anyone counting, English's total record for his head coaching career was 910-169. That's an average of 20 victories – against an average of less than four losses – per season.
"That's amazing, isn't it?" Engmann exclaimed. "With Terry as our coach, my high school basketball days are some of the best memories of my life. It was a magical time."
It still is.
We are grateful to partner with WIN for KC, an organization with the mission to empower the lives of girls and women by advocating and promoting the lifetime value of sports through opportunities for participation and leadership development. WIN for KC and the KSHSAA believe involvement in activities and sports lay the ground work for supporting well-rounded citizens in our communities and beyond. For more on WIN for KC visit: https://www.sportkc.org/win-for-kc