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01/18/2017 11:00 PMWhen two people get along great as teammates, it’s not uncommon for them to further that relationship as a coaching tandem later in life. For a prime example of that, just take a look at the new pairing on the bench for the Hand boys’ basketball squad.
Julian Sanders grew up in Trumbull and competed for his hometown high school hoops team before moving on to Albertus Magnus College. While playing at Albertus, Julian became teammates with Jim Economopoulos, who’s in his first year as head coach of the Tigers. The two reconnected when Hand’s JV coaching position opened up and now Julian is once again working with his longtime cohort.
“Jim and I know each other and our coaching styles really well, so I heard about the opening for a JV coach early this fall. Next, I sent him a text about it and he wanted me to come aboard and I was hired,” says Julian, who also coaches the Connecticut Starters AAU girls’ basketball team. “JV is a stepping stone to varsity and you can’t play one level without the other. I preach following our system, which runs the same plays as varsity. I also work on establishing communication between teammates because it makes it easier to play offense.”
While Julian places a heavy emphasis on academics off the court, he’s breeding an intense brand of basketball on the hardwood. Julian knows that keeping points off the board is just as important—if not more—than scoring them, and he also stresses the importance of promptly getting out of the blocks following an opponent’s mistake.
“Away from the court, schoolwork is first. On the court, I like to coach an aggressive style with defense coming first because a lot of games are won there,” Julian says. “We run a motion offense with a lot of screening off the ball. We also like to incorporate a transition game, especially after missed shots or turnovers.”
Coach Economopoulos says that there wasn’t too much of an adjustment period for Julian and company upon his arrival at Hand. As a result, it’s been all systems go right from the tip for the Tigers.
“Julian was a no-brainer for me when I found out he was available to coach. He is a guy I played with for three years at Albertus, so I knew him well. He was a great teammate and good friend throughout college. He is a great guy on and off the court, so I knew he would be a great leader for our JV team,” says Economopoulos. “On top of that, he already knew the system that I was planning on implementing here at Hand, which made the learning curve much quicker. He is a great player and hasn’t lost a step since we played in college. He often times runs scout team at practice and really pushes our guys. He has been a great fit for our program.”
For Julian, the rewards of coaching don’t necessarily stem from someone hitting big shot in a clutch spot. What Julian cherishes the most is a sense of camaraderie on the floor with players hustling for the guy next to them.
“I love to see when the guys get excited for each other. As a player, I loved being able to play for your teammates and see the passion for the game,” says Julian. “I hope they will look back on these years here as the best time of their lives. It’s about building memories through sports.”
Julian may be a fresh face to many of the Tigers, but he’s already strengthening the bond between himself and his players, while trying to help Hand become one of the area’s top programs.
“I talk about goals with the players all the time. We want to keep progressing and keep learning,” says Julian. “These varsity and JV players just met me a month ago, but we all want to continue to build towards the goal of a winning program and doing it in a first-class way.”