December 17, 2007 - Courtesy of Blackburn Sports Information
STUDENTS COACH THE TEAM - A UNIQUELY BLACKBURN EVENT

At Blackburn College, the student Work Program gives students the opportunity for involvement that is not seen at other colleges.  Students hold countless positions of responsibility in departments across campus and routinely handle the kind of tasks that are done by professional staff at most other schools.

Visitors to Blackburn often marvel at how involved the students are in the day-to-day operation of the College, and they are equally impressed at how well the students do their jobs.  It is no different in the Blackburn athletic department, where students handle practically all of the game-day management duties and have a reputation among officials as being well-prepared, well-trained, and highly organized.

However, the events of Saturday afternoon, December 8, when Blackburn hosted Maryville University in a basketball doubleheader, were unusual–even for Blackburn standards.   As normal, student workers set up the gym, handled statistics and sports information duties, and ran the game clock and shot clock.  But they also coached the men’s basketball team.

The circumstances of this event were unusual as well, as head men’s basketball coach Kirk Chandler was forced to miss the game after suffering a debilitating bout of pneumonia.  But, as usual, the students of Blackburn were ready to meet the challenge.

In Chandler’s place, student assistant coaches Zeb Hammond and Allen Dehority took over and served as head coaches for the game.  They had little time to prepare, as Hammond and Dehority learned of their surprise roles only two hours before game time, upon arriving at the gym as part of pre-game routine.

Student assistants on college coaching staffs is hardly unusual, especially on the NCAA Division III level.  It is not uncommon for players whose eligibility has expired to stay with programs in coaching capacities, lending their valuable game experience to the younger team members.  Many times, these student assistants use their collegiate staff experience to help them land other coaching jobs following graduation.

Blackburn athletic programs have produced a high number of successful coaches on the high school and college levels in many sports;  graduates of the school can be found teaching and coaching across most area high school conferences, including the MSM, Western Illinois Valley, Prairie State, and South Central.  Sometimes, those studying at Blackburn will also coach on the middle and high school levels as part of student-teaching assignmnents; the Northwestern school district in Palmyra, for one, has seen a number of Blackburn student-teachers lead their middle and high school sports teams over the years.

At Blackburn, student assistants regularly serve on the football coaching staff, and are often found helping out with head coaches in a variety of other sports as well, especially with the baseball team, a traditional conference contender.   In the spring of 1993, then-Blackburn senior Joop DeGroot even served as head coach of the women’s tennis team.

As recently as last September, a similar situation to that of Hammond and Dehority arose with the Blackburn soccer teams, as head coach Aydin Gonulsen was forced to miss a doubleheader at Principia after undergoing surgery.  In his place, student assistants Josh Oswald and Randy Schultz coached both the men’s and women’s soccer teams for the afternoon, although students actually serving as head coaches of the collegiate teams–either permanently or in some interim manner–is rare.

Hammond and Dehority found themselves in that situation, but as expected, they handled their challenge very well.  Providing calm direction in an emotional game, the pair represented themselves, their program, and their school in a fine manner.

Their playing experience no doubt helped them in their newfound roles.  Hammond transferred to Blackburn prior to the 2005-06 season and was a two-time first-team all-SLIAC pick for the Beavers.  Dehority was a four-year letterwinner at Blackburn who worked his way into a starting role last season and also serves as a crewhead in the school’s sports information office.

It even looked like Hammond and Dehority would lead the team to victory, as Blackburn led by as many as ten in the first half and still held a lead with seven minutes to play. However, the Beavers went cold from the floor, and Maryville closed the game on a decisive run for a 67-56 victory.

Still, the game was a testament to the many talents of Blackburn students.  There is no question that few other schools have students with the maturity, motivation, and initiative that Blackburn does.  Hammond and Dehority were just the latest examples of that special nature that makes up the students of Blackburn.