Larabee Takes Over Hoosac Valley Boys Basketball Team

CHESHIRE, Mass. -- Mike Larabee was in no hurry to be a varsity boys basketball head coach, but he is excited for the opportunity.

 

“Billy had his reasons to leave,” Larabee said of his predecessor at Hoosac Valley, where he was named head coach on Tuesday. “I tried to say stick around, but he had his reasons, and I respect that.

 

“I don’t think I’d want to be a head coach any place else.”

 

Larabee was an assistant under Hall of Fame coach Bill Robinson for 13 seasons. On Tuesday, he took the reins from Robinson, who stepped down this summer after 25 years on the Hurricanes’ bench.

 

It is the second time in a calendar year that Larabee is taking over for a Hoosac legend. In the spring, he coached the school’s baseball team after the retirement of longtime coach Bob Rivard.

 

Basketball wise, Larabee credits Robinson with helping to make sure the Hoosac program is on solid footing. A couple months away from the start of practice, he was not sounding too concerned about the fact the Hurricanes graduated eight seniors from last year’s Western Mass title squad.

 

“I’m excited about the upcoming season,” he said. “We lost a lot, but that doesn’t make a difference.

 

“The program is important to me. I think with the kind of program we’ve had right down to the youth program -- what Billy put in place -- we’ll be OK.”

 

Robinson Tuesday night said Larabee’s involvement with that program is one of the big reasons he is glad to see his former assistant take over the varsity.

 

“Mike has been involved from the third grade up with the youth program,” Robinson said. “He has a connection with all the parents in town, all the kids in town. They know who he is and what he’s all about.”

 

Robinson said he told Larabee that he needs to be his own man, but the longtime coach has some inkling what to expect.

 

“He’s a hard-nosed guy, and he is going to make sure he gets the most out of the kids,” Robinson said.

 

Larabee said he does not expect his coaching style to differ much from Robinson’s, but that does not mean everything will be the same at Hoosac year in and year out. Sometimes, the Xs and Os are dictated by the Jimmys and Joes.

 

“I don’t think I’m going to change a thing about the way Billy played, but you have to change it to fit the personnel every year anyway,” Larabee said. “You go with what you’ve got, but I don’t think I’ll change any of his philosophies whatsoever.”