A Tribute To Coach K (Written By TJ Eck)

 

As I sat down to write about Coach Joe Klazas, I kept coming back to a quote from my good friend and former teammate Chris Markel. 

 

“He was and is a winner,” said Markel, a Class of 2009 standout guard, when asked to describe Coach Klazas. 

 

Chris is unequivocally right. Simply put, Klazas is the winningest coach in Lancaster Catholic High School boys’ basketball history. 

 

But “Coach K” is so much more than a winner on the court. 

 

“Coach Klazas has been an incredible coach, mentor, and friend to me,” said Phil Wenger, an all-state point guard who led LCHS to a District 3 title in 2011. “He has continued to be a mentor well after I finished playing for him, consistently checking in and remaining a trusted voice.”

 

Nick Uylingco, the smooth lefty point guard from the Class of 2006, adds: “To me, Coach Klazas has truly been way more than a high school basketball coach. He has been a lifelong friend, mentor, and always there to give a lending ear.”

 

Talk to pretty much anyone who played for Klazas and they will echo Wenger and Uylingco’s sentiments. Coach Klazas truly cares about his players. 

 

Just ask Jonathan Markel from the Class of 2008, who was about to be a breakout star in the Lancaster-Lebanon League when he saw his senior season taken away due to a knee injury. 

 

“I missed most of my senior year with a knee injury, which was obviously very difficult,” said Markel. “Coach was always there for me and supported me through a tough time.”

 

It was recently announced by LCHS that Coach Klazas has stepped down as head coach of the program. While Klazas’ impact away from the court will always outlive his statistical accomplishments, he certainly deserves to be talked about as one of the best coaches in Lancaster-Lebanon League history. 

 

He won 353 games during a 21-year career that started with him taking over as head coach after Bill Southward stepped down prior to the 2005-2006 season. Klazas led the Crusaders to four District 3 championships and LCHS won 12 L-L League section titles under his guidance to go along with numerous trips to the PIAA state tournament. Klazas’ recorded eight different seasons with 20+ wins. 

 

Klazas began his time at LCHS as the ninth-grade coach in 1994. He eventually worked his way up to varsity assistant where he helped LCHS go undefeated and win a state championship in 2003 with Southward as the head coach. 

 

“For the 2003 state championship run, Coach Klazas was a fiery glue that was a key factor in keeping us on track,” said Zach Shedleski, the sharp-shooting guard from the Class of 2004 who finished with 1,298 career points. “Unrelenting, he never let us ease up on anything – practice, open gyms, games, it didn’t matter. Lack of preparation was never an option.”

 

From his time as freshman coach to varsity assistant to varsity head coach at LCHS, Klazas made an impact for players from grades 9-12. 

 

“I was so fortunate to have Coach Klazas with me all four years at LCHS,” said Shawn Sweigart, a guard from the Class of 2001 who scored 1,225 points and also served as an assistant under Klazas. “As a coach, he really taught me the value of preparation. When we played, there was no Hudl app and you had tape exchanges. To see the time and effort to get us film and really get us prepared, left a lasting impression on me.”

 

Eric Spence, the scoring machine from the Class of 2007, said: “Coach Klazas pushed me to be the best I could be as a player and for that, I’m grateful. Without that, I wouldn’t have been the player I was.”

 

When Klazas took over as head coach, he brought with him a certain toughness and old-school mentality. First and foremost, he insisted his teams play stingy, physical, tough defense. As for the offensive side of the ball, it was about playing efficiently and…as former Class of 2008 point guard Kevin Gibbons puts it: “Valuing the possession of the basketball!” 

 

Klazas’ goal when he took over as head coach was to sustain and continue building a winning program at Lancaster Catholic. But it was also about creating a strong bond within the boys basketball program. 

 

“What is so unique is that Coach was intentional in building a basketball family,” said Sweigart. “He would do things behind the scenes to let you know he cared. Coach is so incredibly authentic and his love for his guys went well beyond hoops.”

 

Wenger adds: “What made Coach Klazas unique was his dedication, intensity, and care for his players….More than anything, he shaped the culture of Lancaster Catholic basketball in a meaningful and lasting way – one that extended well beyond the court and kept the community and alumni deeply connected.”

 

Klazas’ players will tell you, and I can speak from experience, he was tough on his teams. Not in any way that ever came close to crossing the line, but he had high standards and he expected his teams to meet them whether it be a summer league game, early-season practice, or a state tournament game. 

 

Chris Markel says: “Coach Klazas was a steady rock who demanded excellence, albeit in a way that was not overbearing. Steady, consistent, approachable.”

 

Shedleski adds: “Coach Klazas helped show me what results with hard work. Besides reaching our goal of becoming undefeated state champions, and most likely the best high school basketball team Pennsylvania has ever seen, he was a huge part of showing me what goes along with the process.”

 

Klazas personified toughness. He battled health issues multiple times during his career at LCHS but always found a way to give his best effort to the program. Even when he wasn’t at his best physically, he made an immeasurable impact on his players. 

 

When examining the career of Joe Klazas as head coach of the Lancaster Catholic boys basketball program, it’s really simple to sum up. 

 

“He was a great coach and he cared for his players,” said Jon Markel. 

 

Coach K…we love you and we will miss you at LCHS. Thanks for all you have done for us players and we wish you nothing but the best moving forward! 

 

A few Coach Klazas stories 

 

“My favorite Coach Klazas story that we look back on and joke about still to this day was a game against Lampeter-Strasburg my senior year where both myself and Kyle Purvis were late to the pregame meeting. I remember getting home from school, falling asleep, then waking up only to realize I was already late. Coach Klazas sat both Kyle and me, two starters, for the entire first half and part of the second half. We were down almost double-digits when he decided to put us in the game. We ended up going on a big run and Kyle had a big momentum-swinging dunk. I was never late to anything basketball related again.”

 

Senior Year – “I’ll forever remember celebrating winning a seventh consecutive section championship up on the hill at Columbia in overtime. Celebrating on the court, in the locker room, and the bus ride home.”

 

“How about our junior year. Home game against Annville-Cleona that we needed to win to stay in the hunt for a section title. The game prior, Coach Klazas got tossed in the first quarter at Lancaster Mennonite and was automatically suspended for the next game (against A-C). Btw, against LMHS, we came back and won and Dan Sweigart dominated. But Coach watched the A-C game from a room above the one hoop in the gym…the shorter hoop that everyone dunked on, that side. I don’t remember how he figured it out but he was up there watching.”

 

Unrelated to basketball – “When Coach found out that our LCHS golf team wasn’t getting a chance to play a practice round for the district tournament, he took time out of his own work schedule to take our team to Briarwood to play a practice round. Unforgettable. Tells you a little about him and his desire for LCHS to win.”

“When I was a junior, we had a senior on the team named David Rudy. He was a starter, a very good player, and a key member of the team. I don’t know how it started but after we would win a game we would come into the locker room and start chanting: “R-U-D-Y, RUDY, R-U-D-Y, RUDY, RUDY!” It was a dumb thing that high schoolers do. But it caught on and we did it multiple times that season. There was one road game, I can’t remember who against, but we picked up a huge win and we are doing the RUDY chant postgame. All of the sudden Coach Klazas comes flying into the locker room and starts doing the chant with us. It was hilarious and awesome and something I will never forget!”

 

“So many great stories. I always smile remembering how Coach Klazas would give the late Coach Arcudi the opportunity to coach the team whenever it came to playing against a zone. Coach Klazas knew how passionate Arcudi was about zone defense and he would always let him have his moment.”

 

After his preseason knee injury his senior year – “I remember a few days after having surgery, Coach Klazas showed up to my house with a bunch of snacks and sports magazines to read. He was a great coach and he cared for his players.”