SpringfieldNewsSun.com

JAMESTOWN — Bill Green's views will once again be influencing athletes at Greeneview.

The longtime Rams coaching legend will be officially recommended to the school board as Greeneview's new head boys basketball coach at its May meeting. But he's already got the Rams' reins in his experienced hands.

Green coached from 1980-2000 and compiled a record of 266-176, including five league championships and a state runner-up finish during his final season.

It was a great way to go out — even if his team lost in the state title game to a team from Akron with a kid named LeBron. Why return now after an eight-year hiatus?

"That's something I didn't plan on doing," said Green. "I was just sitting back and watching and enjoying that.

"Over a period of time, when that came down with Rocky (Rockhold, the Rams' former coach), that created a situation. We've always had Greeneview kids coached by Greeneview people and nobody (in the Greeneview system) wanted it. So it looked like we'd have to hire outside the system.

"After some talking with some people in the community and my family about it, I felt I wanted to keep the Greeneview tradition going. We have folks who have a passion for this program and we just wanted to keep that going.

"I love the program."

So is this just a stop-gap, one-year measure?

"I hope not," he said. "I don't want to be a one-year patch thing. I plan to stay a little while.

"It takes a lot of time and effort," he admitted. "If you have a passion for coaching and love it and want to do it, the time it takes won't matter."

Passion is one thing Green never lacked.

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't (still have the passion)," he said. "When I left, I wasn't really burned out. My kids were getting to the age when they'd be participating in sports, and I wanted to be there for that. But the passion has always been there.

"I just want them to get better as players, as athletes and as a person. I think the winning will take care of itself if you do that."

So, he hopes, will the recent bad times in the program.

"It's in the past now. It's time to move on."

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