At the age of 70, he won No. 700.
And legendary Colorado men’s basketball coach Bruce Dick shows no signs of slowing down.
Not that the program at Fort Collins High School has revitalized the past two years under his leadership.
The Ramkins completed Dick’s career 700th win Friday night in his 40th full season as head coach with a 71-63 victory over Bloomfield.
School and Athletic Director Kyle Tregonning honors the legend’s latest coaching milestone after Saturday’s home game against Brighton.
Fort Collins is 8-2 (Front Range League 2-0) just two years after a 2-12 season. The Ramkins are already making time inside the Top 10 in Class 6A, and senior forward Luke has one of the best players in the state in Wagstaff.
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By now, basketball fans in the state, especially in the Fort Collins area, know Dick’s feats.
His 24-year record with Green Mountain included a state title and nine state appearances in 11 seasons. His five-year stint at Rocky Mountain featured the Great 8th Berth and his two league titles.
He then spent a decade with Resurrection Christian, two 3A runners-up, and with the 2019-20 undefeated season canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cougars are just short of Dick’s long-awaited second state championship. 2 wins.
“He’s just awesome,” said Fort Collins assistant coach Brandon Valdez, who has been Dick’s assistant for nearly a decade on the past three stops.
“This school is lucky to have him.”
Coaching to prove something else
Dick’s fame as the fourth winningest coach in Colorado’s men’s basketball history doesn’t dampen the competitive intensity that got him here.
“I want to tell everyone that I was the interim coach for Green Mountain for 24 years,” Dick said with a laugh. “I don’t feel in that comfort zone because I feel like I have to prove myself every year.”
That mindset was especially valuable to Fort Collins’ program, which has painstakingly cycled through coaches since Monty Alcalaz left in 2017.
Dick himself said he found it particularly satisfying to see the growth of the players and the program, even though they weren’t as rooted in the school as full-time teachers and administrators.
“You have to enjoy change,” said Dick. “At four schools, I enjoyed the changes each time.
“I have fire and I love it. Just ask the players. They know I’m still driven.”
No “secret sauce”
“There’s probably no one more competitive than me,” Dick said, but he recognizes that “some things are more important than winning.”
In some ways, the formula of a 40-year coaching career relies more on off-court relationships than on-court insight, Dick said.
Players see evidence.
““He’s disciplined and shows genuine care for his players,” said junior guard Jace King. “Things have to be done the right way or it won’t work for him. It changed our culture a lot. “
“He brings a winning mentality,” added Wagstaff. “It’s not a statistic or a win or loss. Getting better is how we do our best.”
Of course, that’s not to disrespect the elements on the court.
Dick’s team always plays with an aggressive, uptempo style to hunt down their opponents. But it’s the philosophy, not the system, which Valdez said makes all the difference.
“I would never go back and coach high school except for him,” Valdez said. how Play from the basics. We play fast, play a fun style of ball and score a lot of points.
“Selfish, it’s fun because the blues everytime win. “
the legend continues to grow
There aren’t many ladders left to climb now.
Dick is the third active Colorado Boys coach and fourth all-time with a .754 career winning percentage with 700 wins.
“No, (wins) never get old,” Dick said in a patented cackle.
However, there are still goals.
He wants another state title. He sees an instinctive reward in connecting with yet another generation and coaching them to be the best.Dick is in his sophomore year with Fort Collins women’s coach Kirstin Young. An in-house mentor for people like
“The word legend immediately comes to mind,” said Young. “Sometimes I go to see him practice and try to absorb and learn the game. Not just watching him practice, that’s the coolest part.”
All of the above is what ultimately keeps the 40+ year veteran coach moving.
But he still remembers his rather humble beginnings in Green Mountain. He only wanted to be his head coach as an interim graduate.
“I feel so blessed,” Dick said, breaking into tears. “My only goal was to become a high school coach.”
After 700 wins, it can be said that he is a great man.