By Nick Pantages
@nick_pantages22
A 38 year stretch at the head of a program seems almost unfathomable, but for Denis Tobin, that has been a reality. After taking over in 1985, the same year Larry Bird won his second of three straight MVP awards for Tobin’s hometown Boston Celtics, it has been a constant stream of success for the Catholic Memorial basketball program.
Tobin has coached a pair of state championship winning teams in 2008 and 2015, and won a trifecta of Coach of the Year awards from the Boston Globe in 2002, 2007 and 2015.
His stoic but intense demeanor on the sidelines is almost a comfort to his players.
“I like to relax in the locker room, but once the game starts, I’m very intense and into it, but I also always try to project positive energy,” Tobin said. “I’ll yell at them if they really need to be yelled at though. I just demand 100 percent.”
Freshman Josiah Adamson, who led the squad with 24 points and seven rebounds in Friday night’s 87-69 loss to Mater Dei, said, “He’s very laid back, but once we get in between those lines, it’s a different coach.”
Tobin’s coaching style is like a great cooking dish; it is all about adaptability. He combines elements of coaching that have stood the test of time, with some modern and updated flares.
“I usually go in every year and I try to look at the personnel that I have and I try to decide what style of play is going to best suit the personnel we have on the team,” Tobin said.
A perfect example of that is the starting lineup the Knights boasted in their contest against Mater Dei.
Adamson and classmate Aiden Pires started, along with two more freshmen on the roster, showing just how modern Tobin has become in terms of personnel.
“It used to be that freshmen never even got a glimpse of playing time on varsity,” Tobin said. “They are just two very good players, and they’ve earned it.”
One of these added things to his repertoire is a very modern offense with classic sets, lining up in a Dean Smith-esque four corners alignment, but instead of running the pass and cut motion offense of the past, the Knights will run the spread pick-and-roll that has become an integral play at all levels of the game. They also play a lot of drive and kick, given their roster is loaded with talented passers and shooters.
However, he also countered this with the flex offense at times, an offense that is considered stale and archaic by some coaches.
Tobin’s defensive strategies are also very advanced and catered to the modern game. He ran a soft man-to-man full court press for a majority of the game, with a 2-3 zone mixed in at times at the end of the second and third quarter during Monarch runs.
Facing a top-10 nationally ranked team in Mater Dei, Tobin knew it was going to be a challenge to contain their high-powered offense, but Tobin and the Knights did have some success, despite the disadvantage they were at because of the Monarch’s length.
“We knew that was going to be an issue, Tobin said. “They also played terrific tonight, I don’t know how else to put it. They shot well, and they’re a very, very good team.”
Before today’s 87-69 loss to the Monarchs, Tobin’s Catholic Memorial team was 8-0 and near the top of the Massachusetts state ranking. Through his adaptive coaching style, the experienced head man of the Knights looks to be in a position to contend and win his third state title.
Photo by Braedan Shea/The Student.