Charlotte, NC – Garinger head basketball coach James Fuller recalls his first thoughts when he stepped on campus at Garinger in 2017. “Having a chance to coach at a big 4A school was very exciting for me. I came in and asked where was the hospitality room and the auxiliary gym?” Fuller would soon find that Garinger could offer neither. However, what they could offer was a chance to help build a program from the ground up. Desperate for a stabilizing presence, Garinger is now on its third basketball coach in five years and eager to get back to the NCHSAA state playoffs for the first time since 2008.
After serving one year as an assistant, Fuller was named head coach just prior to the 2018 season. What he inherited was alot more than what he bargained for. Fuller immediately saw a lack of commitment from members in his program and knew things needed to change. “When I became coach we only had about four players coming to basketball workouts. I was worried that we may not have enough to field a team and if we did, we were not going to be properly conditioned.” Fuller’s notion came to fruition as the Wildcats opened the 2018 season with three consecutive blowout losses, outscored by its opponents 215-140, before ending the season with a 1-22 record.
Fuller knew that his players needed an identity and consistency to buy into a program which has offered very little continuity in recent years. “I’ve noticed that these kids are very loyal and once they see that you are loyal, they begin to trust you,” says Fuller.
With a hint of stability in place, the Wildcats are ready to take a step toward relavance. “This season we had full participation in workouts and the players are very enthused about the upcoming season. They have my number and they call me all the time, excited about working out and they are always holding each other accountable. Since I have been here, I can already see that the commitment level has changed. When the commitment level changes, the face of the program will start to change.”
Fuller, a Winston Salem State University graduate, knows the value of education after a 26 year coaching and teaching career that includes stops at Hibriton High School (Lenoir, NC) and Hickory Christian Academy (Hickory, NC). “Three things that I teach our guys are the three A’s; Academics, Attendance and Attitude. I tell them that if we fail to work on our academics, we are already down ten points as soon as we step off the bus.” Garinger’s floor general Kquamere Locklear took heed to his coach’s advice. The 5’9 junior combo guard worked hard over the summer to change his body and his grades. Locklear took home a 3.2 GPA last quarter, the highest that he has received in high school.
What’s next for Garinger basketball? “We are going to get back to the basics. We want to do everything with consistency and discipline. We are going to be on time everyday and we are going to strive for excellence”. Being a man of faith, Fuller believes he is where he is supposed to be. “I have had opportunities to be at other schools, but I feel like I needed to be at Garinger because these kids need us and I want to be able to see these kids graduate and succeed”.
Garinger will open up it’s season against West Charlotte Tuesday November 19, 2019 at 7:30pm
