Komaromy's touch has helped Gators to best season ever

When Joe Komaromy "retired" from coaching girls basketball last season after 26 years at the helm of the Crown then Dundee-Crown program, he really didn't envision being back on the bench this season.

He still planned to run the Thanksgiving and Christmas tournaments at D-C and he thought that would keep him close enough to the game.

But after having a summer off and realizing his wife, Kathy, was still working full time, Komaromy decided he'd need something to keep him busy.

Crystal Lake South coach Kyle McCaughn had been after Komaromy since the end of last season to come over to Gator Alley and help the talented Gators learn some new offenses.

So when fall rolled around and Komaromy knew he'd probably go stir crazy sitting home every night, he decided to take McCaughn up on his offer.

At first, though, the IBCA Hall of Famer didn't figure on actually being a South assistant. McCaughn has a fine assistant coach in Molly Czeslawski, and Komaromy figured he'd just go in and "help out a little, you know, to keep in the game," he said.

But then the Gators started to wear on him, and it had more to do with this South team's potential than the fact they wear the same green and gold colors as his beloved Green Bay Packers.

"I knew I wanted to keep busy and keep around the game and there was an opportunity there," said Komaromy Saturday, a day after the Gators had won their first regional championship since 1993 by beating Jacobs. "I had the summer off and I figured it could be a long winter without doing anything. Kath still works full time so I thought I'd give it a shot.

"At first I thought I'd just go into some practices and help out. Kyle wanted me to help install the fast break. But you get hooked a little. You get to know the kids a little bit and you get hooked. Kyle and Molly are such good people, and it's always been about being around good people for me."

Thus, the mentor remained a mentor, sans being in charge of the program and having to do all those little things that head coaches are saddled with doing. After a career that includes 450 wins, he didn't want to be a head coach anymore, and with good reason.

"We knew we were talented and I wanted Joe to help us achieve some of our goals," said McCaughn, now in his eighth year as the South boss. "The kids respect him and his experience and they know he's been there."

Senior point guard Carly Juliano, one of the best defenders in the area, has gained great respect for what Komaromy has brought to the South program.

"He has been a huge addition to our team and a huge part of our success," said Juliano. "He's such a smart coach and he has so much experience. He and coach McCaughn and coach Czeslawski really compliment each other well."

What Komaromy brought to the Gators was a new offensive philosophy. South had been successful with defense, but the Gators have not been one of the highest scoring teams in the area in recent years. Thus year they average well over 50 points per game.

"He brought in a bunch of plays that we needed and what he brought in meshed real well with what we had been doing," McCaughn said. "The kids are real comfortable with what he's brought in."

Juilano said this was the perfect team with which to install Komaromy's offensive philosophy.

"We definitely took that from him," she said when asked if Coach K's offenses are the reason for the increased production the Gators have seen this season. "This was a good group to do it with. We're athletic and fast. Why not push the ball up the floor?"

McCaughn had no problem allowing Komaromy to be an integral part of building the new South offense.

"I still consider myself a young coach," McCaughn said. "I always felt I needed that mentor to say to me what I'm doing is OK or what I'm doing stinks. To have someone like Joe, who was a head coach for 30 years or whatever, to hear him say he trusts in what I'm doing, that gives me a lot of self-confidence."

McCaughn likes to joke that Czeslawski runs the defense, Komaromy the offense and, "I just stand and watch it all and yell a little." But what McCaughn truly is happy for is having two assistants he can trust.

"We bounce things off each other and it's really been a great team effort," he said. "The kids respect that Molly was an athlete (played tennis at Creighton) and they respect everything Joe brings to us. They know their coaches all have equal input and they understand that."

Komaromy won't say if he'll be back at South next year or even if he'll coach again next year. For now, he's enjoying the ride as the Gators have fashioned a school-record 25-4 season that continues Monday night against St. Charles East in the Jacobs sectional.

"It's kind of ironic," he said. "Last year, Melissa Tarrant was my assistant coach and now she's married to the Jacobs coach (Ed Haugens). And there we all were Friday night playing against each other. It's been fun and it's been a neat relationship I've formed with Kyle and Amy and the kids at South. The nice thing is I show up and do my thing and I don't have to worry about all the other stuff. I don't need to be the head coach anymore."

No, but he's turned into one darn fine assistant.

jradtke@dailyherald.com