New Basketball Coach Brings Winning Ways to Solon

Calling Bob Patton a winner is not only a compliment, it's also a fact.

The 39-year-old Patton is the new head coach of the boys' basketball team at Solon and that is good news for Comet hoops fans. Wherever Patton has played and coached, winning basketball has been a part of the equation.

Patton was a high school standout while playing for his father's Youngstown Liberty teams. In 1990, he was named Mr. Ohio Basketball as he led Liberty to the Division III state finals.

From there, Patton went on to play for Stanford, which promptly won the NIT in 1991. The following season, Stanford made the field for the NCAA's March Madness tournament.

Patton's winning ways as a player carried over to his coaching career. He served as an assistant at Dublin Coffman and Mount Pleasant before taking over the varsity program at Kenston. The Bombers went on a tear during his last three seasons at the school, going 53-15 and making a deep tournament run by beating a strong Mentor team before falling to Glenville at the buzzer in a district final thriller.

Patton then moved on to Westlake, a program that had struggled for years. The team had not won a conference title in more than 30 years and had not won a tournament game in 17 years. In Patton's second season, Westlake won a conference crown and he finished up with four seasons of 10 or more wins.

"I was very pleased with that turnaround," said Patton, during a break in one of his summer camps. "And with the great athletes at Solon I am already pleased with the talent level here and I know we can win games."

The Comet coaching spot did not come with a teaching job, so Patton will continue to teach at Westlake. "When the Solons and Westlakes and Rocky Rivers of the world are having budget problems that tells you something," he said. "I'm hopeful it can be worked out in the next year or two."

Solon graduated a large senior class, but Patton will concentrate on the talent that shows up for the team's first practice session. "I'm going to come in and work with the guys who are there and I will evaluate the players we have."

Patton's teams are known for getting up and down the floor and playing pressure defense. He will be assisted on the varsity level by Tony Decesare and former Comet head coach Mike Guilfoyle.

"When people think of Solon they say football is king but I look at that as a positive," said Patton. "There are a lot of good athletes in the hallways of Solon."

Patton started his own sports camp company, Super Skills, that is holding camps at Solon, Kenston and Columbus this summer. His Solon offensive skills camp will be held July 6-8 and he is also directing a Solon Rec basketball camp June 27-July 1 (those interested in participating can contact Patton at pattonb22@gmail.com).

Basketball is in Patton's blood. And, fortunately for Solon, so is winning.