If you would have asked Richard Willis in December to make a prediction for the upcoming year, being head coach for the Coteau Elementary basketball team definitely wouldn’t have been on his list. 

It all began in September, when Willis made a Facebook post asking why Coteau Elementary, where two of his children attend school, no longer had any sports available. When several commenters responded that Willis should be the one to step up and revive the program, he immediately got to work. 

“My little boys wanted to play sports, so I decided to coach to spend more time with my kids,” Willis said. “I’m going to be coaching basketball, baseball, soccer and flag football. It’s something positive for the kids to keep them busy and get them ready for the next level.”

As soon as Willis announced the return of sports to Coteau Elementary, the support began to pour in. Parents sent him messages of encouragement, he added assistant coach Wayne Hypolite to the staff, and Lafayette Charter Renaissance Academy head basketball coach Brad Boyd, formerly of Westgate, offered to sponsor the team. 

The excitement around the program quickly turned to success, both on and off the court. 

“They work hard. They always come to practice and they’re always focused at the games, locked in,” Willis said. “They’re actually at the games before me, always ready to rock and roll. Everyone is always happy after the games. One lady told me that I changed her kid’s life by being disciplined. Listening to me has made him go home and listen to her. I’m like a father to them when I’m on the court.”

The Coteau Gators carried that success through the season, ending with a 5-1 record and a first place finish, the best record in school history. After going winless in the team’s last iteration, Willis said it took some work to get the kids and parents to believe that a successful program was possible.

“The kids love it, the parents love it, the teachers love it, everybody loves it. When they had a program, they never won a game, so (being successful) changed a lot of kid’s opinions on the program,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of that. It’s hard work, working with the kids, but I’m going to keep pushing to get better.”

Willis and the team celebrated their successful basketball season with a pizza part earlier this week. With basketball season behind them, the team is already turning its attention to the upcoming soccer and baseball seasons. While Willis isn’t as knowledgeable about those sports as he is with basketball, he plans to give it his all to ensure success that lasts. 

“It was a big change, from not having a program to now having one,” Willis said. “The kids had to buy in. I’m happy to be a part of it. We only have one sixth grader, so we’re going to be pushing to be better in every sport. I’m going to try to keep the kids out of trouble, keep them off the streets.”