Josh Estridge named new South Putnam boys’ basketball coach

Josh Estridge

Where some people see nothing but challenges, others see opportunities for growth.

New South Putnam varsity boys’ basketball coach Josh Estridge appears to be the latter.

Never mind the frequent coaching changes in the recent past, nor the Eagles’ late-season swoon in 2022-23, Estridge looks at the program and sees a team that went 11-11 last season — four more wins than the prior two years combined — and middle school teams that swept the Putnam County titles.

“I keep in touch with things around the area,” the now former Plainfield teacher and coach said. “I saw that they have a lot of players coming back from last year’s team. It looked like they had good middle school teams as well. That was a definite attraction for me, as well as the community. I know a couple of people that work or have worked here, and I’ve heard nothing but great things.”

So it was that Estridge was introduced Friday afternoon, approved by the South Putnam School Board in a 3-0 vote by Lisa Cooper, Wade Fanning and Lee Cline, not only as varsity boys’ coach, but also business teacher at the high school. Board members Joseph Roach and Hollie Hutcheson were not in attendance for the midday meeting.

Estridge was joined for the meeting by wife Kristin, a teacher at Avon, and their 15-month-old son, Brooks.

The hire came on the recommendation of Principal Tona Gardner and Athletic Director Troy Burgess, as well as Supt. Corey Smith.

“We were looking for a program builder who knows how to win, with the experience and commitment needed to lead students in our JV/varsity teams now while also bringing cohesiveness to the whole program (youth, middle and high school) to build it for the future,” Gardner said in a statement that Smith read to the board. “Josh Estridge has these qualities.”

Gardner also addressed Estridge’s qualities as a teacher.

“As a member of staff in the building, he will have opportunities to help students gain knowledge and skills in the classroom while building relationships with students,” Gardner said. “He will see our student athletes as students and have relationships with fellow teachers as colleagues. As a coach with experience in football, he sees our athletes as multi-sport athletes and will support their desire to compete across sports and succeed in the weight room.”

Burgess, who has at various points helmed the varsity football, boys’ basketball and baseball programs for the Eagles, said he saw a lot to like about Estridge through the interview process.

“We’re just very excited to have him,” Burgess told the Banner Graphic. “Through the interview process, we spent a lot of time together, and Josh has a lot of those old school qualities, which for an old guy like me, that’s great to see. You just look at the way he presents himself, the way he carries himself. He comes from a great program — at Plainfield for 10 years. That’s a very good program, good school corporation.”

Burgess said he was most impressed by what happened when he called people who were not on Estridge’s reference list.

“We all put references down that we know are going to say good things about us,” Burgess said. “But what happens when you call people that maybe weren’t on your reference list? Everybody that I talked to had great things to say about him. I think there are a lot of people in Plainfield right now who are sad that they lost him. Their loss is definitely our gain. We’re very excited about him. I’m looking forward to getting him in the door and seeing what he can do.”

As alluded to by Gardner, one of Estridge’s major goals is to build a program beginning at the youth level and working its way up the ladder.

“I think it’s important to focus on the K through 12. It can’t just be the nine through 12,” Estridge said. “I want to take what’s been built this past season with their 11-11 record and the middle school teams having success, and then I want the younger kids to know who I am and be excited about being an Eagle.”

It’s a task that won’t be without its challenges, as Estridge will be the Eagles’ fifth coach in five seasons. Since Greg Dean’s resignation following the 2019-20 season, each of the three succeeding coaches — Travis Turpen, Matt Pickerill and Kyle Swafford — has resigned following just one season at the helm.

On the other hand, Swafford’s 2022-23 squad seemed to be showing major signs of improvement when it was 10-5 with a six-game winning streak as of Feb. 9. What happened thereafter aside, Estridge seemed focused on figuring out what went right in that stretch.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity and hoping to put a program together that you guys can be proud of, the community can be proud of, the school can be proud of,” Estridge told the board.