Mauk excited for new chapter in coaching career
Apr. 22—What keeps a coach going after 46 years in the business and a 27-year head coaching stint at one school, which included nearly 500 wins?
For longtime Bath girls basketball coach Greg Mauk, who's set to take over the girls program at Wapakoneta, the answer is the opportunity to continue shaping the lives of high school kids.
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Mauk announced his resignation from Bath on April 10 and was expected to be approved as the head girls basketball coach at Wapakoneta at Tuesday night's board meeting.
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor Award recipient said he's excited for the new challenge while also feeling appreciative of the program he left behind.
"I've had a lot of great memories at Bath. I spent 46 years of my life coaching in one form or another at Bath High School, and I also went to school there, so you're talking over 60 years," Mauk said. "Our kids are great kids at Bath, and this has nothing to do with them."
Mauk, the second head coach in school history, took over for legendary coach Gretchen Prichard, who led the team from 1971-1998 and amassed a record of 460-116 during her time at Bath.
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"When I took that job, I was told by a lot of people that I was crazy for following a Hall of Fame coach," he said. "At the time, my thinking was, if I could just keep things moving in the right direction in the program that I would be successful. I'm proud of what we've done and I was very blessed to be able to work with those kids."
In 2016, the Wildkittens became the first girls basketball program in the state of Ohio to reach 800 wins. Mauk earned his 400th career victory in January 2020, and his career record currently sits at 494-158.
"I've had people say to me, 'How many wins is enough?'" Mauk said. "It's not about the wins. That's not why I coach. I do this because I enjoy the camaraderie of a group of kids who make commitments, pull together and accomplish things that maybe they didn't think they could do when we started on the journey. That's what it's all about for me."
Mauk said a casual conversation with Wapakoneta Athletic Director Brad Rex brought the possibility of making the move to light. The more the two talked, the more Mauk felt comfortable with the prospect of coaching at a different school in the Western Buckeye League.
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"I've never really experienced any other place, and I was kind of intrigued by the conversations that I had with Brad (Rex)," Mauk said. "I just thought maybe it's time to explore something a little bit different and see how things are on the other side.
"I made this decision based on my family and what I feel is best. I'm leaving behind a lot of people that I love, so it makes it difficult from that standpoint, but it's an opportunity for me to go into another school system and work with different kids and do what I like to do. It's an opportunity that re-energizes me."
Mauk not only wants to continue to influence young players but also young coaches along the way. Though it was a little early to name names, he expects to have a few of those future head coaching prospects on his staff at Wapakoneta.
"They're going to be the coaches of tomorrow, and I know that we're going to have a couple of good people on our staff at Wapak who are going to be coaches someday," he said. "If I can influence them and teach them to do things the way they should be done, I feel like I can leave a legacy in that respect for younger coaches."
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X @Lima_Howell
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