AURORA | From the time he played Strat-O-Matic baseball growing up, Gary Childress knew he always wanted to manage or coach.
He loved the strategy and challenge of playing out scenarios with different players that the iconic baseball card game offered.
Childress coached a Little League baseball team at the age of 15 and a few years later landed in high school basketball as the boys coach at Limon High School. The rest is Colorado coaching history, as Childress has become one of the state’s most well-respected and successful hoops coaches at any level. He’s called Aurora his coaching home for the past 19 years at Grandview and now at Vista PEAK, where he just picked up career win No. 500.
“I didn’t know if coaching was something I was going to stay with, but I grew up coaching,” Childress told the Sentinel Dec. 22, two days after the Bison’s 63-46 win at Palmer Ridge made him only the 11th coach in Colorado history to reach the milestone.
“I think about two or three years in (at Limon), I decided it was going to be my life’s work and I wanted to work hard at it,” he added. “I wish I could say that I had some major goals set, but I didn’t really.”
Childress has taken several teams to the brink, but hasn’t won a state championship as of yet. Wins have never been a problem, however, as he is on pace for his 27th winning season in 37 seasons as Vista PEAK is off to an 8-0 start going into its home game against Smoky Hill Thursday night.
What does win No. 50o mean to him primarily?
“The significance really is hearing from the guys that played for me in the past at various stops along the way,” said Childress, who has received messages of congratulations from many former players, including some from his original group of Limon players.
“The relationships with kids over the years really puts it in perspective,” he added. “It’s been an honor to be able to do it long enough to get to this point. I’m blessed to be able to coach and continue to work with kids.
“I’ve feel like I’m been one of the luckiest guys for the opportunities I’ve had.”
Interestingly enough, Childress’ wife Patty — who led the Grandview volleyball team to five Class 5A state championships — retired after the 2015 season with 493 coaching victories to her credit.
Childress — who now has a career record of 500-314 — built the Grandview program from scratch when the school opened and guided the Wolves for 16 seasons that included three trips to the Class 5A Final Four (2003, 2005 & 2006). He’s now in his third season at Vista PEAK, which had success under previous coach Josh Brenning, but is flourishing.
The Bison went to the 4A Sweet 16 last season and have the look of a contender this season after a start that has seen them win the Bison Bash as well as the Ponderosa Invitational. After the Christmas break, Vista PEAK will begin play in the East Metro Athletic Conference — along with the other Aurora Public Schools programs — a considerable upgrade from the past few years in the Colorado 7.
“I feel like a lot of progress has been made here,” Childress said. “We have really good support and the players are committing to work hard and not just assuming they are going to have a position. We’re having better practices and things along those lines and there is just unbelievable support from the administration and school.”
Childress isn’t the only basketball coach at Vista PEAK with a historic number of wins, however. Vista PEAK girls coach Jim Bartok won his 400th game last year and is up 405, which puts him seventh on the all-time girls list according to CHSAA records last updated in July.
Only Regis Jesuit — which has 968 wins from boys coach Ken Shaw (717 going into Thursday’s game at Fort Collins) and girls coach Carl Mattei (251 as of Thursday) — have more combined wins among boys and girls basketball bcoaches than Childress and Bartok (905).
“I really enjoy working with Jim and I really enjoy working with every single coach at Vista PEAK,” Childress said. “I’m happy to have Sully (John Sullivan) back on my staff, (soccer coach) Jason Elliott is a guy I work with now in his student advocate role and I have a good relationship with David Benedict, the wrestling coach, which is very important I think.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
GARY CHILDRESS’ COACHING RECORD
1979-80: Limon – 19-5 (State tournament consolation championship); 1980-81: Limon – 20-4 (State tournament 3rd place); 1981-82: Yuma – 8-9; 1982-83: Yuma – 10-9; 1983-84: Yuma – 13-8; 1984-85: Yuma – 17-7 (State tournament Great 8); 1985-86: Yuma – 17-5; 1986-87: Yuma – 17-3; 1987-88: Yuma – 12-8; 1988-89: Yuma – 15-5; 1989-90: Yuma – 23-1 (State tournament Final Four); 1990-91: Ferndale, Wash. – 13-9; 1991-92: Palisade – 8-11; 1992-93: Palisade – 11-10; 1993-94: Palisade – 9-11; 1994-95: Palisade – 9-11; 1995-96: Palisade – 13-7; 1996-97: Ferndale, Wash. – 6-14; 1997-98: Assistant at Mesa St. College; 1998-99: Grandview – 10-11; 1999-2000: Grandview – 12-9; 2000-01: Grandview – 6-14; 2001-02: Grandview – 12-9; 2002-03: Grandview – 19-5 (State tournament Final Four); 2003-04: Grandview – 6-14; 2004-05: Grandview – 18-9 (State tournament Final Four); 2005-06: Grandview – 20-7 (State tournament Final Four); 2006-07: Grandview – 14-10; 2007-08: Grandview – 13-12; 2008-09: Grandview – 11-14; 2009-2010: Grandview – 16-10 (State tournament Great 8); 2010-11: Grandview – 11-14; 2011-12: Grandview – 16-9 (State tournament Sweet 16); 2012-13: Grandview – 16-8; 2013-14: Grandview – 15-10 (State tournament Sweet 16); 2014-15: Vista PEAK — 18-6; 2015-16: Vista PEAK — 19-6 (State tournament Sweet 16); 2016-17: Vista PEAK — 8-0 (?); Total: 500-314
