This time, the timing was right for both Davidsons

This was not your typical job interview. There was no official, face-to-face sit-down involving a lot of questions and answers.

Instead, the process for selecting Aurora Christian's next head boys basketball coach was a series of casual conversations over several years time between the interviewer (Don Davidson) and the interviewee (Marc Davidson).

It went something like this:

Don: "Are you interested in being Aurora Christian's head coach?"

Marc:

"Well…maybe…someday…perhaps…I might possibly have an interest at some time."

Each time the opportunity was presented, Marc balked. But his hesitancy wasn't because he didn't ever want the job. It's because he knew his Dad still wanted it.

"I wanted to be respectful of his desire to still coach," Marc said. "I didn't want it to be a situation where my Dad was stepping aside to make room for me."

Once he was assured that wasn't the case, Marc was ready to come on board. Earlier this week, the torch was officially passed from father to son. Don, who created Aurora Christian's basketball program from scratch in 1977, retired from coaching after 41 years on the bench -- 31 of them at Aurora Christian.

Marc, undeniably the finest player to wear an AC uniform, comes back home after a journey through life that's taken him halfway around the world and back.

Not that this was a long-held ambition for Marc. He hadn't been pining for the job all these years. Instead, it was a set of circumstances for both he and his Dad that all came together at once.

"I never had a great interest," Marc said. "But I finally came to an understanding that Dad was truly ready to retire from varsity coaching -- I'd never felt that from him in the past."

But life changed dramatically for the Davidsons when Stephanie Davidson -- Don's wife of 40 years -- passed away last fall following a long battle with cancer. And in recent years, Don -- like many of his coaching brethren -- lamented the fact that high school basketball had become more of a "business" with its year-round commitments.

"I think that (business aspect), along with Mom's passing, had something to do with him losing his desire to coach," Marc said.

So here is Marc, 35, back where he started. Since graduating in 1991, he's played four years of college basketball (Illinois and Trinity), eight years of professional basketball in Europe, worked as a high school athletic director and coach, and spent the last two years as head coach at Trinity International in Deerfield.

Oh, lest we forget this devout Christian is also a family man with a lineup of sons. His starting five are Wesley (11), Billy (10), Frankie (7), Marcus (5) and Jimmy (3).

After a whirlwind that's had them living in France, Michigan, France (again) and now Gurnee, they'll be putting roots down in the Aurora area later this summer. Of course, that raises the possibility that another father-son, coach-player dynamic will return at AC. Only this time, Marc would be coaching Don's grandkids.

Were it not for painful foot problems that put an end to his playing career, however, none of this might have happened. At least not now.

"No question I'd still be playing professionally," Marc said.

But calcium deposits and plantar fasciatis left him unable to take the daily pounding. His feet could no longer absorb two hours of running and jumping on a hardwood floor every day.

Coaching is the next best thing. And he'll have big shoes to fill with those aching feet. Don leaves as one of the state's winningest coaches, with a .626 career winning percentage that included an even-better 549-304 record at AC.

Though the term "pressure" doesn't quite apply to Marc's challenges, he realizes he's stepping into a situation where high expectations are the norm.

And that's fine by him, for he expects the same.

"That's all part of it," Marc said. "My playing career in Europe has helped prepare me for that. When you're an American player on a European team, you're constantly under the microscope. You get used to dealing with the expectations. You just do the best you can and try not to be affected by what people say about you, good or bad."

He'll be dealing with a different culture of players than he remembers from his playing days. One of his biggest objectives will be making this "business" of basketball fun.

"The coaching challenge is to get kids to care as much as you do," Marc said. "When you don't see that, it can be frustrating. But you can't force a kid to love the game of basketball.

"Part of the problem with today's players is that everything is forced upon them. They don't shoot hoops in the backyard because they love basketball -- they do it because their coaches or parents are making them do it as part of a program.

"My philosophy is to give players every opportunity to improve -- not just as players, but as human beings -- and make it an enjoyable experience for them along the way."

May the fun begin -- for all involved. And make sure you wave to Don in the stands, in his new role as fan.