Love of teaching, family left behind by Benton Central tennis coach Jim Pilarski
OXFORD ― Benton Central girls tennis coach Jim Pilarski was known for his dry sense of humor and turn of phrase whenever one of his players seemed to find themselves in a slump.
Even in the dead of winter, Pilarski somehow found sunshine in his life and was known for sporting a reoccurring red tone on his face and neck while bringing his passion of tennis to the center of sports activity in Benton County.
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"We all definitely miss him a lot," Benton Central sophomore Violet Hardebeck said. "He always believed in us and pushed us to be our best."
Pilarski left behind a program that has been processing the loss of their beloved friend.
More: 'A great person all around.' Former Covington tennis coach remembered ahead of sectionals
Benton Central assistant coach and Schwartz Tennis Center pro Nick Nassos was with Pilarski, playing tennis before his sudden death on Feb. 23.
The two men were playing tennis at Benton Central before a case of pneumonia put Pilarski in the hospital. He died three days later at the age of 80, leaving the 23-year-old Nassos as head of the program he helped build.
Benton Central girls tennis coach Jim Pilarski (right) stands with his daughter Jamelyn Pilarski Buchanan (left).
Nassos and Pilarski bonded over sports, including their love for the Chicago Cubs. In those conversations came lessons on coaching and how to care for students.
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"He taught me that coaching could be more fun than playing honestly," Nassos said. "I already gave tennis lessons, but I never coached a team before. And when you see (players) do something you've worked on in practice for so long and they just didn't get it and then they get it in a match, that's a really cool thing."
Pilarski helped Benton Central win the IHSAA sectional championship in 2023 and created an atmosphere of inclusion for both boys and girls players. Sophomore Emma Hines was a softball player growing up before she traded her glove and bat for a tennis racket in the eighth grade because of Pilarski.
More: Girls tennis sectional draw for Lafayette-area teams: Tuesday matches moved to Purdue
Violet Hardebeck remembers the fresh attire and confidence Pilarski exhibited on match day.
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"He had a nice tan going on always and had this green polo he'd always wear to every single match ― it was a BC tennis polo," Violet's sister, senior Avery Hardebeck, said. "He had a distinct look about himself and he always wore a bucket hat when it was sunny."
A missed grandfather and coach
The memories of Pilarski will carry on through his family, including his grandsons Luke and Blake Buchanan.
Pilarski became Luke's tennis coach when he took Benton Central over in 2017 after living in Fort Wayne.
"I was a cross country runner but decided to hang it up and start doing tennis," Luke Buchanan said. "He pretty much moved for us and he made a pretty good impact with the community."
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Blake is finishing his sophomore year and became was one of the Bison's star players upon his passing.
"He just had an impact on how kind he was, wanted to help everyone out," Blake Buchanan said. "I miss seeing him all the time. We hung out a lot and would go golfing with him in the summer. He taught me that hard work always prevails."
Benton Central girls tennis coach Jim Pilarski (left) holds the 2023 IHSAA sectional title trophy with 2024 graduate Rachel Tolen.
Benton Central lost 4-1 against Lafayette Jeff in Tuesday's IHSAA sectional opener, snake bitten by bad luck with Avery Hardebeck unable to compete after severely injuring her ankle while warming up to play against Rossville last week.
Pilarski's players are convinced he would've found the silver lining despite the unfortunate woes that ended the season.
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More: Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North goes from the balance beam to the baseline
"He taught us to never get in your head," Violet Hardebeck said. "Tennis is such a mental sport and he'd say to not let any of it get in our head and to stay positive."
Nassos plans to build a hitting wall in honor of Pilarski so his players could have an opportunity to train more.
"It's been really tough, but I feel like I've done a good job teaching the things he believes in," Nassos said. "All the girls respected him, they are playing for him, and you can see them doing things he taught them."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Benton Central coach Jim Pilarski loved teaching, family
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