46 years a Buccaneer

Bob Eidson still remembers his first and only season wearing a Buccaneer basketball jersey. Despite being the new kid from Ohio, Eidson was voted as a captain. Later that season, he led the winless team to a victory against Godwin Heights, the No. 2 team in the state. 46 years later, Bob Eidson brings the same leadership and resilience back to the sidelines, but as the new head coach.

Although Eidson has guided  basketball at various levels, he chose to predominantly coach boys junior varsity for almost three decades, after eight years of coaching the girls varsity squad from 1979-86.

Many people thought Eidson would take over as head coach in 1987 when Al Schaffer retired or in 2005 when Craig Taylor retired, but coaching varsity was never in his interests.

“I love working with kids,” Eidson said. “There was just so much administrative things going on outside of coaching, that’s the element of varsity coaching that I dislike.”

However, when head coach Steve Hewitt passed away unexpectedly last summer, Eidson had a change of heart.

“Coach Hewitt was a very close friend who I respected tremendously,” Eidson said. “All of the kids were affected by this and we wanted to make the transition smooth and easy. I’m very familiar with everything Steve did, having been a part of the program for such a long time.”

Under the challenging circumstances, the team is adjusting to Eidson’s coaching style.

“He’s a lot more straightforward with you, he’s not afraid to tell you what you’re doing wrong,” junior Lukas Steffel said. “We’ve had some ups and downs, but I think we’ve come together as a team.”

Once Eidson’s playing days were over, his main focus shifted from the court to the classroom as he taught elementary school for 34 years before retiring in 2009. However, he couldn’t completely stay away from basketball and was continuously apart of the Bucs’ coaching staff and constantly advising recess basketball leagues.

“The most rewarding aspect within the community is seeing people and talking with them and seeing how much they are involved and care about GHHS basketball and the players,” Eidson said.

From being coached to coaching and from being taught to teaching. Eidson has always been dedicated to continuing the legacy of Buccaneer basketball.

“I have really enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with these kids,” Eidson said. “This is a team that Coach Hewitt had very high expectations for and I feel very much the same way.”