Coaching for 34 Years; Still Going Strong

For 34 years, Tony Chapman has been the head basketball coach at , where he is also the dean of students and a history teacher. In 2011, he hit a landmark by reaching 700 wins, and this season the Firebirds have only lost one game under his leadership.

And for now, there is no end in sight for Coach Chapman.

"I would like to continue coaching as long as I feel I can give 100 percent to the job," he said, "and at this point, I think I can."

Giving 100 percent has led to the basketball team's 21-1 season. This year hasn't had one specific game that stands out as a milestone to Chapman, but he said that the entire season should make the school proud.

"The season that we had has been something that the school should be really, really proud of," Chapman said. "We had eight seniors on last year's team and five started. The senior class this year had big shoes to fill from last year's team. We might even be on our way to surpassing last year's...we only lost one game this year."

The Firebirds beat Neshaminy early in the season, which was a big win for the team according to Chapman. He said the team also played "extremely well" against Church Farm—a highly ranked team in Pennsylvania—and during a game against Bensalem.

"Bensalem was a game where our kids did not quit," he said. "With about two minutes left in the game, we some how found a way to win that game."

Part of that win can be attributed to the players' perseverance, but another part can be attributed to Chapman's coaching style. He helps motivate players to always strive to play better.

"He's a great coach," a student athlete said in a Comcast video on Holy Ghost's website. "You think you're good, he'll make you better. You think you're tough. He'll make you tougher. He'll get on you until...I mean he wants you to reach a certain level and he thinks you can go farther than that, he'll push you until you get there. He just makes the team better."

Since he works so hard to make the team better, the team tries to give back to him by winning games. 

From what Chapman can remember about the game that scored him his 700th win, "the team didn't play particularly well." He admitted that the athletes probably felt a lot of pressure because they wanted to secure the win for their coach. But they pulled it off.

"We had control of the game, but it was not real comfortable until the end," he said.

Many students, staff and former assistant coaches attended that game to support their teacher, dean and colleague. He said the experience was "very humbling."

Chapman is actually a pretty humble guy. He doesn't try and take complete credit for the team's successes, and admits he couldn't run the team with out the help of his assistant coaches and the athletic department.

"I have an awful lot of help coaching this team and running this program," he said. "Coaching during the season is one thing, but running the program the rest of the year is another. Had I not had that help, I wouldn't be coaching now."

As long as Chapman has a crew of people who share his dedication to the basketball team to help him out, and as long as his enthusiasm to coach persists, he will remain the head coach of Holy Ghost Prep's basketball team.

"As long as my health is good and I have the motivation to coach I will," he said. "When I feel that is missing, I will step down. When I can't give my all to it, I'd be cheating the kids. Then I'd hand it over to someone else who can devote energy to it."

Since he said he can't imagine that happening anytime soon, Chapman will continue to give 100 percent to his team.

Catch the Firebirds in round one of the BAL Tournament Tuesday, Feb. 14, or watch them compete in the first game of the District One Playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 22.