ROCKINGHAM — The spinning lights during player introductions at home boys’ basketball games are dialed in on the Richmond Raider players, but guaranteed to be somewhere within the aura of those bright lights are eight men who love the game and the program as much as the players.
During a game earlier this season, Keith Parsons replied to the question of how many assistant coaches Richmond has with a grin — “We have one for every player,” he chuckled.
While that’s not exactly the case for Richmond’s 14 varsity players, the assistant coaching staff for this year’s team does have enough for its own starting five and three subs.
As the No. 2 Raiders and head coach Donald “Bootsie” Pettigrew are within 24 hours of playing in the school’s first 4A East regional championship in 22 years, a deep bench of assistants, many of whom are volunteers, have spent the past year helping the team get there.
Flanking Pettigrew as the assistant head coach is Frank Harrington, a longtime educator and coach who joined the staff when Pettigrew took over the program in the fall of 2017.
Two others have also served in various capacities under Pettigrew the past six seasons — Travis Byers and Kenta Hutchinson.
In more recent seasons, Pettigrew added depth to his coaching lineup with Maurice McLaurin (3 years), Parsons and Derrick Wiley (2 years), and Josh Calhoun and Kendo Wallace joined this season.
One word often used by all eight assistant coaches, all of whom graduated from Richmond, to describe the Raider basketball program was “family.”
Parsons noted it may be an overused or cliche term, but at the core of it all it’s the truth, and that Pettigrew and his staff have cultivated a family environment that extends beyond the court.
A defensive-minded coach, Harrington played point guard at Fayetteville State University in the early 1980s. With 26 years of coaching experience across middle and high school, he’s what Pettigrew described as a “father figure” to not just the players, but the coaches, too.
He’s thankful for Pettigrew bringing him on staff six seasons ago with a lot of unknowns, and Harrington believes one component of the Raiders’ success starts with how well the coaching staff works together.
“We depend on each other as coaches a lot more than people think,” Harrington said, “and we’re all like brothers. The kids see that and it helps create trust and a bond. We’re a family on and off the court and we help these young men with whatever they need.
“Bootsie has the final word and we respect his decisions as assistants,” Harrington continued. “All of us put in a lot of extra time and that’s paying off. Right now we have to stay together as one and remain focused.”
Hutchinson was the junior varsity head coach from 2017-18 until last season, moving up to a full time varsity assistant this season. As one of the younger coaches on staff, he uses that to his benefit to communicate with and develop the players’ skills.
“For me, it’s all about trying to establish that connection as a family,” Hutchinson explained. “I played football (at Richmond) and I remember being able to connect with coaches who I trusted, and I want to be that coach now.
“Working with the JV team for five years, I got to know a lot of these players well. From that, I’ve been able to help them adapt to high school basketball and make sure there’s a lot of communication from the players to the coaching staff. At this point, we all know what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Pettigrew places a strong emphasis on bringing on coaches who once wore the kelly green and gold.
Keeping that sense of “Raider family,” he said, has been easy since every assistant coach shares an equal passion for giving back to the program, school and community that helped raise him.
McLaurin, who just missed out on the Raiders’ back-to-back state runner-up seasons, was a point guard at Richmond from 1997-2000. The director of Hamlet Parks and Rec, McLaurin has coached in some capacity for 18 years.
While he’s on the bench at every game and helps with practices, McLaurin’s most influential role is as a trainer who works with the players’ development in and out of season. Like others on staff, he understands the importance of cohesiveness.
“Every one of us plays a different part who brings something different to the collective table,” McLaurin shared. “We do a great job at meshing everyone’s thoughts together and make it work for game time.
“We’re this family of guys with similar backgrounds and life experiences, mostly through playing sports. Our trust and belief as coaches benefits the kids in so many ways because we’re always on the same page. With that same goal in mind, we’re helping these guys become better young men, and not just with basketball.”
Calhoun and Wallace were teammates on the Raider basketball team from 2010-13, playing as a point guard and shooting guard, respectively. The chemistry from their playing days have carried over into their coaching careers.
This season, Calhoun served as the head JV coach and guided the team to a 17-2 overall record. In his third year of coaching altogether, Calhoun flourished as a coach and he credits a lot of that to Pettigrew’s guidance and help from his fellow coaches.
Returning to his old stomping grounds for several reasons, including being closer to his son, Calhoun remembers talking with Pettigrew while still in high school about helping grow the program some day.
“It’s funny because it seems like it wasn’t that long ago that Bootsie and I talked about this being a dream of mine, and here I am,” Calhoun smiled. “It was always in the back of my mind and when the opportunity came up, I knew I had to take it.
“This is my hometown, my home gym and my home fans,” he added, “and this is the family I want to be with. This season has been great for all of us on all levels and the job isn’t finished.”
One of the team’s volunteer coaches, Wallace has embraced his role as the Raiders’ hype man during games. Along with his former teammate Calhoun, Wallace gets the bench and the fans fired up when the Raiders make three-pointers and other baskets.
Helping out with both the JV and varsity teams, Wallace remembers what motivated him as a player and tries to emulate that now.
“One thing I always used as a player was the crowd’s energy,” Wallace noted. “So I just kind of started trying to keep the energy level up and I know the guys feed off of that. I always talk about making sure they play with a lot of energy and I lead by example.
“It’s been so much fun to be back here. It wasn’t that long ago Josh and I were teammates and now we’re here seeing the kids who watched us in high school do really well at this level. It’s really great to be a part of the Raider basketball family.”
In a lot of ways, the path of Wiley is similar to those of Calhoun and Wallace. A former quarterback and shooting guard for the Raiders from 2005-08, Wiley found himself back at his high school ready to help student-athletes just like his coaches helped him.
Helping run practices and pre-game drills, Wiley also orchestrates a lot of Richmond’s itinerary. With eight years of coaching to his credit, Wiley brings with him the intensity of the football field as the quarterbacks coach and blends it with the game of basketball.
“The transition from coaching football to basketball isn’t that much different,” Wiley commented. “It all started right here for me with this family at Richmond Senior and there’s a lot of pride in our diamond. I tell the guys all the time that getting a chance to wear it is an opportunity not everyone gets.
“I really stress to them to do everything 110 percent, whether that’s with basketball or in life. Coaching goes beyond sports and I try to teach them that they will fail sometimes, but getting back up and giving it 110 percent is what they need to do.”
Not a believer in doing things halfway, Wiley said the constant effort from the Raiders all offseason and throughout the last 29 games has yielded a lot of results and wins.
Serving as an assistant coach and helping with stats for the past six seasons, Byers remembers the impact that coaches had on him while playing football and track at Richmond.
With nearly a decade of coaching experience, Byers uses his time working with the Raiders to stay young at heart.
“I enjoy so much about being involved with the basketball program,” Byers said at a practice this week. “These guys are like a family to each other and to us as coaches. Being around the boys brings me a lot of joy and makes me feel like a kid again.
“Our job is to help them in any way we can. The best part this season has been seeing everyone really gel on the court and connect as one, especially when it really matters.”
One of the program’s biggest offensive contributors is Parsons, who found his passion for teaching and coaching within the past decade.
A CTE teacher at Richmond, Parsons’ knack for the game, high basketball IQ and ability to connect with the players has helped Richmond’s offense net over 2,000 points in each of the past two seasons.
Also a numbers guy, Parsons keeps up with in-game statistics and runs offensive sets through Pettigrew during games. Another former Raider student-athlete, Parsons was a small forward on the varsity team from 1985-1987.
Before joining the staff at the start of last season, Parsons helped former Raider head coach David Laton for two years as a volunteer.
“We all have Bootsie’s back no matter what, and it’s very impressive to have this many coaches and no egos,” Parsons explained. “We’re all here to do whatever we can do to help. I have more of an offensive mind, and have studied and read books on different offenses.
“We truly are a family,” he added, “and we’re now all part of the family that Bootsie started in 2017. Anyone who has been a part of that sees it in the joy everyone has for him. Bootsie is a special person, a guy who’s given more than half of his life to this program.”
Pettigrew etched his name in the Raider basketball history book as a junior and senior player during the late 1990s. After playing, he returned as an assistant coach and continued to build the program before finally getting the reins in 2017.
Intense on the sideline during games, calling out plays and getting guys in position, Pettigrew takes the front seat when it comes to wins and losses, trials and tribulations and success.
On Feb. 15, Pettigrew earned his 100th career win in a 79-50 victory over Hoke County High School. While those wins are attached to his name, he knows he couldn’t do it without the players and the coaches surrounding him.
“I love them all and each guy brings something different that helps our program,” Pettigrew said of his assistants. “The main thing is that we’re all built the same as goodhearted men who care about this family. It’s about more than just basketball and I wanted to surround our young men with coaches who are excellent role models.
“It’s a blessing to have each of them on staff and all of our guys trust them,” he added. “Our coaches believe in everything we’re trying to do and always go the extra mile, whether that’s helping with school work or things happening at home.
“A lot of these guys are volunteers and they will get shots up with players until 10 or 11 o’clock at night. They’re truly the best and I’m glad to have them around me.”
Hoping the tight-knit family dynamic that has been years in the making continues to do its part, the No. 2 Raiders will tip off against No. 5 Holly Springs at 4 p.m. Saturday.
