“I decided not to return because it was beginning to become too much” Coach Z (the colloquial name of Coach Zdankiewicz ) stated. “My kid’s are getting older I won’t be able to give 100% to coaching and 100% to their lives. I also want some time to reflect on all of the things I have learned in my years of coaching here at WWT.”
After coaching four years of junior varsity basketball at WWT, Coach Z became the varsity coach where he lead the Titan basketball team to many victories. He led the school’s varsity basketball program to two winning seasons in the MAC silver division in his five years as varsity coach; in the 2007 and 2010 seasons the team’s combined record was 18-2.
As players formerly coached under Zdankiewicz learn of his departure they are swept with a melancholy and reminisce at his coaching.
“Z was a good coach, he was critical, but it was good criticism. This season’s going to be weird not having Z as a coach. No one thought he would resign because he has such a passion for the game,” Elvis Brown ’12 said.
The praise does not end with one student but continues on to seemingly anyone touched by his coaching. “Mr. Z was a good coach,” John Dicicco ’12 said. “He knew what he was talking about, and everything he said made sense. At times he could be loud but only when he needed to be, and it was always for the right reasons,” John declared.
Coach Z rallys the team to make a play during a 2010 game against Warren Mott. Photo Credit: Patrick Studios
John, along with his praises expressed a concern of a Woods-Tower season without Coach Zdankiewicz. “I feel like the new season will be at a loss without Z. It’s going to take a while for the team to get used to a new coach, and it may take even longer to get back to a winning program.” Melvin Williams ’12 was more optimistic for the upcoming season. “This year I feel that the new coach will have a positive effect on the basketball program,” he stated.
Coach Z said that while he isn’t going to be directly coaching anymore he will still work behind the scenes in WWT’s basketball program.
Also in the works for Mr. Zdankiewicz is a basketball program centered around teaching young kids which he plans to be a part of.
Mr. Zdankiewicz plans to return to coaching basketball at some point, but, for now, he wants to do his most important job: being a father to his children.
Whether or not this season will turn out good or bad, one thing is for certain. Mr. Zdankiewicz will be missed.
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