Photo by TimeCapsule Images
We’re officially into basketball season, and Scott Ware is ready to take on his second season as head coach of the Hoover High School Boys team. Before taking over in that role in the summer of 2020, he served as the lead assistant coach under Charles Burkett for seven years. Scott grew up in Sipsey, a small town outside of Jasper, and was previously the head coach at his alma mater, now called Walker High School. Here’s what he had to say about the game.
Why did you get into coaching basketball?
I have had a basketball in my hands since I was old enough. I love the game. Athletically I was not the most blessed person, so that led me more into learning the game and sharing it with the people who do have the athleticism to do things on the court. I have always had a love for sports in general too. My brother is a school baseball coach, and my father was a coach. It was in our blood.
What makes you passionate about the sport, and what did you learn working under former Hoover coach Charles Burkett?
Ultimately basketball is a team game. A team will defeat an individual any day. When you get into the game, you see that. A lot of people don’t quite understand basketball think they are just running around. I like the organized chaos of it. Charles Burkett and I think about the game a lot in the same ways. He was a great player, so I think I got to see more of the player side from Coach Burkett. That’s helped me grow. We like to play full court man-to-man defense and a high-paced game with more and more possessions. At the same time we are both passionate about guys taking really good shots. Both of us were good at having conversations so the guys understand their role in order for the team to be successful.
Can you talk some about team culture and dynamics?
We are blessed. We have good kids. We have had teams before with a team average of a 3.98 GPA. Outside of the game of basketball they strive to do good things. I can’t tell you have many times we are at restaurant and people brag about the behavior of the guys. They carry themselves well and represent the community and school and their families really well. It speaks to the way we play on the court. We are intense, and we want to win. I think that what they do off the court plays into that with that same attitude and mentality.
Can you give some highlights of last season?
Last year we played the toughest schedule in the state. From 4A to 7A out of final four teams we played almost every one of them. We split with Oak Mountain who went on to win the state championship. We beat them twice, and they beat us twice. We played well against Ramsey at home and had an outstanding game against Vestavia at home. We are disappointed we didn’t beat Oak Mountain the fourth time, but for the tough schedule we played and with COVID the guys did a really good job at having a successful season.
What can we expect to see from this year’s team?
We will be young as far as experience goes and will probably have some growing pains early. What I like about this team is how they play for each other. I think we will try to win with numbers. We don’t have one guy we will turn to it will be more of a team thing. This group pulls for each other and look out for each other. We had a really good summer, and we are trying to be excited about small wins. A lot of people don’t understand the pressure you are under at Hoover because of all the state championships at the school.
