Chris Bessey is named the new Jay girls’ basketball coach.
JAY – It was an intriguing opportunity for Chris Bessey.
After having a year away from coaching basketball, had the urge again. Then the girls’ hoop job at Jay High School opened. And re-opened.
“I didn’t coach basketball last year, and I went to football to help Coach (Mark) Bonnevie,” said Bessey. “I really missed it; the strategy and the game situations. So I made a decision to get back into it.”
Bessey officially returned to the basketball coaching fraternity last week. He was approved by the Jay School Committee unanimously Thursday night.
While he coached the Tigers baseball team to the Western Class C title last week and state runner-up honors in Monday’s state championship game, Bessey already was laying the groundwork for his basketball program.
He met with the girls one week ago Monday, then had a general shoot-around the following night.
“We had a practice with the girls, just like a get-together,” he said, “so they could start to learn my system. I had baseball practice after school and had a basketball practice at night.”
Bessey has been the Jay baseball coach for 10 years. He was part of the boys’ varsity program for seven years, coaching varsity for three, junior varsity for three and freshmen for one.
He left the boys’ program after a faction in the school board forced him out. Bessey coached the Livermore Falls boys’ varsity for a year before taking last winter off.
Thus far, he’s had great feedback from parents and players regarding his return to Jay basketball.
“I met with the girls a week ago, and I heard nothing but positive comments,” said Bessey, who had to squeeze in the meeting last week before school ended. “Some of the kids that were there were upperclassmen, and some of them were younger kids that are coming up, but things went very well.”
The school board approved another candidate, Tim Kane, last month. Supporters of a third candidate, Frank Donald, orchestrated a protest to push for his nomination. Subsequently, Kane withdrew his name.
Bessey’s name then was presented to the school board at its next meeting last week.
He takes over just in time to salvage the summer schedule already put in place by Kane. The team was supposed to practice Monday, but that was postponed because of the rescheduled state baseball final.
“Tim had a pretty good schedule that he worked up,” said Bessey. “He didn’t cancel anything, so that was good on his part.”
Bessey is excited about the future of the program. His daughter is in the eighth grade, so he is familiar with the players that are coming through the system.
Only three years ago, Jay reached the Western Class C championship game, where it lost to Dirigo.
“I know it’s a program that’s going to get stronger,” he said. “I think it’s a program that’s on the way up.”
Coaching girls will be a new experience for Bessey, but he’s already been in touch with some fellow coaches. One is Skowhegan girls’ coach and former University of Maine at Farmington teammate Paul True, a Fryeburg native.
“It’s going to be a little different coaching the girls, but I’ve got some friends that are coaching girls now,” said Bessey. “I’ve talked to Paul about the differences, so that helps out.”
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