Most college assistant basketball coaches kill themselves to make contacts over the years and go through a grueling gauntlet of interviews before finally landing a head job.
And then there’s Chris LaBelle.
The Hamilton product didn’t go looking for anything, but when he showed up for work at Centenary University Nov. 10, he was told he’d be running the show for the men’s basketball program.
After a playing career at the Hackettstown university in which LaBelle finished first in program history in career free throws and assists, second in career points, points per game and field goals, and third in 3-pointers, he became a Cyclones women’s assistant last season and took the same role for the men this year. When Dirk Kelly abruptly resigned for personal reasons one game into the season, LaBelle was named head man.
“It was definitely a surprise,” he said. “(Kelly) had some stuff going on, where he felt he needed to step away. The day before the Misericordia game, it got sprung on me. I just took it and ran with it. It’s an awesome opportunity. You obviously don’t like to have it happen the way it did, but it was a dream come true for me.”
LaBelle was promoted on an interim basis, so the future is uncertain after this season. But the former Steinert/Trenton Catholic standout is going to embrace the moment.
“I’m gonna come in and do everything I can to make the program succeed,” he said. “It’s an awesome opportunity. I’ll make the most of it this year. This school means a lot to me from playing and now coaching. There’s a lot of unknown at the end of this year, but I’m not worried about that. I’m just worried about the 20 guys in the lockerroom every day showing up and making sure they’re getting better.”
One of those players is guard Trevor Giordano, a Steinert grad who is a senior academically, but who has another year of eligibility if he chooses to use it. The team’s leading 3-point shooter (16) and second leading scorer (10.8) through the first nine games, Giordano felt LaBelle was the right man for the situation.
“It definitely blindsided us when coach Kelly left. We respected him and the job he did when he took over last season,” Giordano said. “When Coach Kelly was out with Covid during one of our scrimmages, Chris took over and we won the scrimmage, and I think that proved to me that Chris had what it took to keep us on the right track. I have full faith in him, I know the guys have full faith in him just from talking to them.”
Those guys include Ewing High products Naire Preston and Kenny Rankin, who are both enjoying solid freshman seasons. Rankin led the team in scoring as of Dec. 7 and Preston was third. The former Blue Devils both feel having a 24-year-old leading them is more a help than a drawback.
“It’s pretty nice,” Rankin said. “Him and my brother are the same age, he can relate and he understands what we’re going through because not too long ago he was going through the same thing.”
Preston agreed, saying “He’s played recently, he sees the game how we see the game since he played those four years. That helps a lot.”
Giordano made it unanimous. “He definitely gets our problems and what we’re going through,” the guard said.
LaBelle understands that he doesn’t have to be extra tough on the players so they won’t take advantage of a fresh-faced coach. He uses his youth as an advantage.
“It builds an awesome connection with these guys,” he said. “I was in their shoes not long ago and had a pretty successful career. If they can use me as a gateway to their own success and use me as a sounding board that’s what I’m here for.
“It’s been really awesome to be myself. They respect it, I really don’t need to yell and hoot and holler. There’s been a level of respect, they’ve been locked in and ready to go. I can’t ask for anything more in the effort department.”
If the situation was going to be weird for anyone, it would be Giordano, since the two were teammates just two seasons ago.
“I really haven’t seen it as he used to be one of my teammates, I see it as he’s my coach now,” Trevor said. “I respect him, I just shut my mouth and do what he needs me to do. I know he needs help leading because he’s a young coach, he was thrown into the job so it’s not something he was planning on doing. I’m helping out the best I can. The relationship is good, no bumps in the road.”
Giordano made that statement after going from a starter to one of the team’s top reserves.
“I enjoy the role of coming off the bench,” he said. “I survey the floor, see what’s going on before actually getting in the game. It gives me another edge, seing what my match-up is gonna be, what my man may do to guard me, how I can guard other people. My shot attempts have gone up and percentage-wise I’m doing a lot better.”
Along with his playing ability, Giordano and senior Sean Falk, another ex-teammate of LaBelle’s, are providing the kind of leadership every new coach needs.
“Those guys have been huge in this transition, the respect level has been awesome,” LaBelle said. “Having guys I played with setting the tone and having that level of respect, it trickles down through the whole program.
“I just try to be myself with them. I was friends with these guys before and that’s not gonna change. There’s obviously a different level of respect they’re gonna have for me. But that relationship doesn’t change. I still want the best for them, they want the best for me at the end of the day.”
LaBelle knows he has a lot to learn moving forward, but is thankful to have had one year under women’s coach Rose Haller and a preseason with the men under Kelly.
“That helped tremendously,” he said. “It teaches you you’re not a player anymore, you gotta look at the game differently, learn how to teach the game right. I might know what’s going on on the court, but now I’ve got to learn how to describe it and teach it. That was the biggest thing.
“I got to learn under coach Haller last year. She taught me a ton on how to coach, and how to talk to the players. That was a huge help.Now I’m getting to do my own kind of thing in coaching and have my own kind of philosophy. I’ve also taken things from other teams and other coaches. (TCA coaches) Fred Falchi and Bobby Fusik have been really huge. They’ve supported me whether it’s running ideas off them, or them just coming to games.”
Through early December the results were not glowing as Centenary was 1-8. But with an extremely young team learning to play for a new coach on the fly, it stood to reason things would take time to develop.
“We had to piece together a starting lineup after the season started,” Giordano said. “Guys are gelling together now.”
Rankin agreed, adding that, “I see the potential. We’ve had a couple mental lapses but we’re right there. If we come together as a team and learn about each other more, we’ll be good in the long run.”
LaBelle, who also works as the athletic department’s transportation director, was undaunted by the slow start. He is more concerned with being ready for Atlantic East Conference play, which begins this month.
“The expectations we set for ourselves are very high,” he said. “The people from the outside don’t give us too much of a shot this year, we’re gonna continue to show up, do what we have to do and then we’ll surprise some people come January.”
However it turns out, LaBelle knows he has been given the chance to show what he can do as a head coach. He hopes to remove the interim tag but, whatever happens, he appreciates the experience he is getting at a young age.
“You get to make all the decisions now, everything falls on you,” he said. “It’s been really cool, I’ve been enjoying the challenge. Taking over one game into the season adds a little craziness to that. I’m gonna make mistakes, I’m gonna have to learn from them just like the players are as well. I have to learn not to get too high and too low on myself. Show up every day, put the work in and trust that these guys are gonna do the same.”
Steinert grad Trevor Giordano in action for Centenary University. (Photo by Jenna Glinko.),
