As he had through 389 victories in 19 seasons, Mark Amatucci felt confident in his game plan. But the former head varsity coach for Calvert Hall’s basketball team was not preparing to face a tough Baltimore Catholic League opponent; he was planning for John Bauersfeld to take his place, which became official on Friday.
“Three summers ago, I told him I don’t know how long I would be doing this and I would like him to help me,” Amatucci said.
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“He made the decision to come back then.”
Bauersfeld played two seasons as a small forward at Calvert Hall after Amatucci started his second stint as head coach in the fall of 1993. The guard was a co-captain for the Cardinals before playing for Gettysburg College.
“I was impressed by his attitude, determination and loyalty,” Amatucci said.
Since 1998 he has coached in Pennsylvania, Baltimore County and was the head junior varsity coach at Calvert Hall before he took his first varsity head coaching position at Western Tech, where he stayed until returning to Calvert Hall in 2005.
“He seems to be the right fit for us at the right time,” said Calvert Hall Athletic Director Lou Eckerl. “He is a young guy who is very enthusiastic and knows our tradition.”
Of 16 varsity teams at Calvert Hall, six are coached by alumni.
“Even though the years have passed, the values are the same,” Bauersfeld said.
With the Calvert Hall tradition already instilled, Bauersfeld said he?s focused on the recruiting and fund-raising aspects of coaching at a private school.
“It is such a competitive league,” said Bauersfeld, referring to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association?s “A” Conference and Baltimore Catholic League. “You need to recruit and build alumni support. In a lot of senses, it is like a college program.”
Amatucci will remain as a guidance counselor at Calvert Hall, but it is unclear in what capacity he will assist Bauersfeld.
“I am not going to try to be coach Amatucci,” Bauersfeld said. “We will have to see what my personal touch of the program is, I am not a fortune teller.”
YOUNG CARDINALS
Bauersfeld is inheriting a young team that he helped recruit. Point guard Kyle Wise is returning for his sophomore season after averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 assists a game starting as a freshman. Sophomore Jonathan Graham, the son of former Maryland basketball star Ernie Graham, step into a more prominent role next year. The 6-foot-7 forward had nearly five rebounds a game last season.
