This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/13/2017 12:00 AMWhether at the middle school or high school level, Jim Lamb has played a pivotal role in Guilford boys’ basketball growing into one of the most respected cultures on the shoreline.
Originally from West Virginia, Jim always aspired to be a coach or a teacher, but took a detour while working in the pharmaceutical industry for two decades and also serving in the United States military. A resident of Guilford for the past 20 years, Jim began coaching basketball in town a decade ago as an assistant at Adams Middle School, after which he coached JV softball for the Indians. For the past eight years, Jim has served as the JV head coach and a varsity assistant with the Guilford High School boys’ basketball team, helping the Indians develop into one of the stronger squads in the Southern Connecticut Conference during that span.
“When [Head Coach Jeff DeMaio] was hired here, I wanted to get involved with the program, and I’ve come kind of full circle with coaching. Jeff is an outstanding coach and he’s made a huge impact on basketball here. He’s the Xs and Os guy and I coach the JV games and am also the No. 2 guy on his bench,” Jim says. “I don’t try to make my role any bigger, and we have a nice partnership. You never know the impact you have on the kids while you are coaching them. They may come back to you down the road and tell you the impact they had. But I always teach about integrity and leaving it all on the floor, along with communication with teammates and coaches.”
Jim cherishes the relationships he’s formed with Guilford’s student-athletes more than anything in his capacity as a coach. Jim says that they’ve always displayed great class, as well as an appreciation for the impact he’s had on them.
“I love the relationships with the guys. We are so blessed with incredible, well-rounded kids here at Guilford. Most of them shake hands with me after practice and say thank you. They are coachable kids and it shows on the court,” says Jim. “I had kids I coached in 7th grade at Adams and later in high school, and then to see them graduate and go off to college, you fell like you’ve been a part of a big part of their lives.”
A postseason victory from two seasons ago stands out for Jim as one of his greatest memories at Guilford. Last year, 13th-seeded Guilford took down a vaunted 4th-ranked Notre Dame-West Haven squad on the road in the first round of the SCC Tournament—an effort that displayed the true spirit of the Indians as they came back from a big halftime deficit. Guilford saw more postseason success this winter by beating Platt for its first State Tournament victory since 2003.
“We were down 14 points at the half there, but the kids just took over that locker room. We came back and held them to about 12 points in the second half. After the game, it was just our parents and fans left in the gym. I’ll never forget that game,” he says. “Also going 16-7 this year without one of our stronger players in [Josh Krause, who was injured], it was gratifying. After we lost in states this year to Windsor, I’ve never seen a more emotional clubhouse.”
DeMaio praises Jim for both his commitment to the Indians, as well as his understanding of how everyone in the program thinks and responds to his advice.
“Jim has been my right arm for eight years. He’s the most loyal man I have ever been around. We agree on almost everything, but he isn’t afraid to test me with new ideas,” DeMaio says. “His biggest strength is that he is dialed into the pulse of the team. He understands the psyche of players as good as anyone, and he helps navigate our program through each grueling season. I literally could not ask for a better assistant.”
DeMaio’s admiration for Jim is certainly mutual. Jim describes DeMaio as a coach with an infectious personality who knows how to motivate his players and unlock their maximum potential.
“Working with Jeff has been a lot of fun. He’s so knowledgeable. He knows everyone. I don’t think there’s a fellow coach or ref he doesn’t know. Watching him work the sideline is great,” says Jim. “His attachment to the kids is unbelievable. He’s a good communicator and has a good relationship with the parents.”
As the standings will tell you, the Guilford boys’ basketball program has made great strides on the court in recent seasons. However, Jim sees an even greater achievement with the maturity that Guilford displays both on and off the court—an attribute that caught the eye of someone outside of Guilford High School during the recent season.
“Jeff has changed the culture here and helped earn great respect for the program. Yet we also have great kids,” says Jim. “We had a road game at Xavier and, as we were walking out, a security guard stopped to talk to Jeff and complimented him on the politeness of our players. It was pretty demonstrative and incredible to see something like that.”