By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In March of 1985, Craig Fletchall was sitting inside Long John
Silvers in Hays. As a senior at Fort Hays State University, he saw the Pretty
Prairie High School bus drive by on their way for the state basketball
tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Fletchall watched the state
tournament and was enamored by the crowds and the support the small-town
schools showed their teams.
“I grew up in Hutchinson and we played our games at the Sports Arena my senior
of high school,” said Fletchall. “You can imagine the crowds…it just wasn’t a
home-court advantage. I never experienced the small school environments. It was
awesome. I knew I wanted to be part of that.”
Fletchall started his collegiate experience by playing baseball at Hutchinson
Community College and was coaching baseball at Thomas More Prep – Marian his
senior year at FHSU.
“I was going back and forth between baseball and basketball for what I wanted
to coach,” said Fletchall. “In the 1980s, a lot of high schools did not have
baseball. Baseball jobs were not as readily available as others.”
Before he graduated from FHSU, Fletchall had a meeting with the head basketball
and football coach at Trinity Catholic High School in Hutchinson
(Hutch-Trinity). The two met at a convenience store across from the high school.
“They wanted to offer me a teaching position and an assistant coaching job,”
said Fletchall. “The coach said he had a good group of kids coming back that he
groomed and he wanted me to be his assistant. I told him no and that I wanted
to be a head coach.”
If he didn’t get the position, Fletchall was planning on coming back to FHSU
for his master’s degree. Hutch-Trinity instead agreed that Fletchall could have
the job.
“I think my base salary was $14,500 and then I received a $400 stipend as an
assistant football coach, $800 stipend coaching basketball and another $400 for
helping with tennis in the spring,” said Fletchall. “I was on top of the world.”
Fletchall went 40-9 in his two years as a head coach at Hutch-Trinity and
guided the Celtics to the 1987 state championship.
Following his time in Hutchinson, Fletchall made coaching stops at Kapaun Mount
Carmel and Shawnee Mission East.
Growing up watching junior college basketball, Fletchall made his debut in the
Jayhawk Conference as an assistant at Cowley County Community College. After
three years in Arkansas City, Fletchall grabbed his first collegiate head
coaching job at Neosho County Community College.
In his fifth and final year at Neosho, Fletchall coached the Panthers to the
Region VI championship game in 2005, but the history and lure of Barton
Community College came beckoning.
“People that I valued their opinion, said stay where you’re at…you’re crazy if
you take the Barton job,” said Fletchall. “My father at the time was not doing
so well and we wanted to get back closer to Hutchinson.”
The Barton program in 2005 was dealing with department-wide athletic sanctions
when Fletchall was hired. Despite a 19-11 record in Fletchall’s first year, the
team did not have a chance to play in the postseason due to NJCAA sanctions.
“I applied in 2003 when the Barton job first came open, but did not get a
sniff,” said Fletchall. “I was a little reluctant to apply again, but it was
still Barton. I knew once the smoke cleared, it was still a great job.”
Following 16 years at Barton, Fletchall announced his retirement this week as the all-time
winningest coach in program history with a 365-144 record. Fletchall planned on
staying in Great Bend for a while when he first arrived based on a promise he
made with his oldest daughter.
“At the time, my oldest daughter was going into the 7th grade and I
brought her and my 2-year-old and 1-year-old daughter into a little circle,”
said Fletchall. “I said we’re going to make the move and she was really
reluctant. I told her when we came to Great Bend that we would stay until she
graduated.”
That oldest daughter is now married and has blessed Fletchall with three
grandchildren. The coach’s other daughter is attending Barton Community College
and the youngest goes to Great Bend High School.
Fletchall guided the Cougars to 11 campaigns of 20+ wins and a birth into the NJCAA
National Tournament in 2018 where the Cougars made a run to the Elite 8.
Although Fletchall had thoughts of retiring throughout the season, he admitted
the day his retirement was officially announced was emotional.
“I felt really fatigued and never felt like I had a bunch of energy,” said
Fletchall. “The bus trips really kicked my tail this year. I am just glad our team
finished strong and made it to the Region VI semifinals. The program is in a
great position for someone to take over.”
Appearing on the Sports Day program on 1590 KVGB & 95.5 FM April 21,
Fletchall hinted he is probably not done coaching.
“I need a sabbatical and get reenergized,” said Fletchall. “Honestly, I would
like to go back to the smaller high school level to finish out my career. That
would be fun.”