By ROCKY STANLEY / The Independent
GRAYSON — People ask Hager Easterling how he reached 300 wins so quickly as East Carter’s girls basketball coach.
His typical reply?
“Two ways, a lot of good players and a lot of good assistant coaches,’’ Easterling said.
The Lady Raiders averaged 22 wins in Easterling’s first 13 seasons guiding the program. His latest team leads the 16th Region with a 19-3 record and hasn’t lost in more than a month.
Easterling blew past the 300 mark this past week and now has 302 victories in a career that didn’t even start until after a long stint as an East Carter boys assistant.
Now 51, Easterling feels more blessed than ever.
“I have no doubt this is where God wanted me to be,’’ Easterling said. “If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing. Sitting here after everything I have enjoyed, especially the relationships and memories, it’s an amazing feeling.’’
Since he became head coach, East Carter is the only team in the region to win at least 18 games every season and not have a losing record.
“That says a lot about the kids that went through here,’’ said Easterling, not wanting to take credit. “They didn’t do it playing soft schedules either. I think kids want to be challenged. If you don’t like a challenge, has anything great been accomplished?’’
A rivalry with West Carter, the 2000 state champion, has always burned hot. Easterling commended former West Carter coach Hop Brown for setting the bar high in the county.
“When you are getting your tail beat all the time you can either lay down and take it or you get better,’’ said Easterling, whose teams now have the upper hand.
Also, East Carter’s annual Queen of the Bluegrass has become a well-known holiday tournament around the state.
“One of the things that tells you that is other teams call to ask about it, instead of you calling them,’’ Easterling said.
The Lady Raiders knocked off 14th Region power Breathitt County for the title this year.
East Carter, the 16th Region champion in 2004, is trying to get back to the top. As usual, the team relies on sticky defense and an inside-outside offense that incorporates the 3-point shot.
This season is packed with more emotions than usual for Easterling, whose youngest daughter Kristin is a senior and one of the top 3-point shooters in school history.
“It made it special for her to be out there,’’ Easterling said of win No. 300. “It’s been hard on me knowing this is her last year.’’
He said the two are close and share a lot of memories.
“Kristin is not the reason I took this job,’’ the coach said. “She was about 4 at the time and I didn’t know she was going to play basketball, but God knew the future. He knew I would cherish it, how special it would be for me to coach my daughter.’’
Easterling, a 1977 East Carter grad, said he felt equipped for the job because of his coaching influences. He played for Terry Marshall (middle school) and Doc Murphy before finishing out his high school career under Charles Baker.
“I learned from all of them,’’ said Easterling, who is second on the school’s all-time assist list.
He joined Baker’s staff while completing his senior year at Morehead State University. They spent the next 16 years coaching together, molding many successful teams and building a long friendship.
“Bake taught me so much,’’ Easterling said. “He worked so hard. People don’t realize the behind-the-scenes part of coaching, all the organization involved. He always let me in on that.’’
Easterling’s first team as girls head coach set the tone for the future. In 1996-97 — after 10 consecutive sub-.500 seasons — the Lady Raiders went 26-7 and finished as 16th Region runner-up.
“I was so hard on those girls,’’ Easterling said. “Probably the only thing that saved us both is that’s what they wanted. So many of those girls were sick of losing. We had a lot of competitors on that team ready to sacrifice and work.’’
He named Freedom Sexton and Nicole Perry as examples.
Easterling’s coaching staff is marked by continuity. Bill Steele and Tim Doyle are in their 12th and 11th years, respectively, with the program. Other assistants include Erica Parsons (sixth year) and Jeff Damron, who came on board last season.
“There’s a lot of stability and that means a lot,’’ Easterling said. “It’s really nice when people come and ask if they can coach with you. They all did. In practice, we split things up and that gives the players more attention.’’
The high school basketball season ends in March, but Easterling wishes it could last a lot longer.
“I’ve just had so much fun coaching these kids,’’ he said. “All the seniors and juniors on this team, I watched them grow up (with Kristin). They have been playing together since the third or fourth grade.’’
Easterling plans to continue coaching for a while longer. He doesn’t know how many years.
“If I ever lose that passion, I will quit,’’ he said. “I think you owe it to the kids to have a passion about what you are doing. Bake always had that. I’m the say way.’’
ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.
