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After 30 seasons of being the head coach of the Spring Lake Park High School Boys’ Basketball Team, Coach Grant Guzy is set to retire from coaching after the current season ends.
Guzy was honored at Tuesday’s home basketball game against Champlin Park. His players, along with many other staff, alumni and community members, gathered to celebrate his coaching career and thank him for all he has done for the program.
Hear more directly from Coach Guzy as he reflects on his 30 years of coaching at SLPHS and what comes next.
When and why did you start coaching basketball?
I started coaching basketball while still in high school at Columbia Heights High School. I helped at summer camps and clinics run by our head coach Ron Cadwell, and my good buddy, Tom Kullas, and I coached our 6th grade traveling team our senior year. After I was done playing small college ball, I came back to Columbia Heights and became an assistant coach in the program in the mid-eighties. I have always loved sports and the game of basketball, and I was hoping to be able to pay forward what the great coaches I had growing up had given me.
What is a highlight of your coaching career?
There are many great highlights from my 33 years as a head coach. The section championship games, winning the section three times, the state tournament games and taking 4th in the state class AAA twice. But I think the biggest highlight was the relationships built with all the awesome players and coaches I had the pleasure to coach and work with.
Photos of Coach Guzy's career over the years on display at the March 1 home basketball game.
What makes a good player - and a good coach?
I have had the chance to coach many great players. Our best players were our hardest workers, showed a passion and enthusiasm for the game, worked to improve their game daily, were selfless and made his teammates better, and were class individuals on the court and off.
The best coaches show a passion and enthusiasm for the game and teaching the game, motivate their players to do their best no matter what the situation, and most importantly deeply care about each player and their development as good people.
What advice do you give your teams that sticks?
The best advice I can give each player is to strive to be your best in everything that you do. Work hard, be selfless and a great teammate, do the right thing, and remember to have fun.
What was it like to be both an educator and coach within the SLP School District?
I had the privilege of teaching math at the high school for 27 of my 30 seasons at SLP. This allowed me the opportunity to teach many of my players and allowed me to be able to connect with and communicate with our players outside of the gym. Through being in the building, I was able to get to know our players at a higher level. The high school and district have been very supportive of our program, our players, and me as the coach and for this I feel very blessed!
What will you do now?
The time has come to be able to spend more time with my family, to travel more, especially during our cold winter months, and spend more time on hobbies and lifetime sports like tennis, golf, and pickle ball.
Congratulations on a great career, Coach Guzy!