BY RUSSELL HUFFMAN
TheFlashToday.com
Honeybee basketball Coach Alan Thorpe confirmed Monday he was leaving the helm of the Stephenville program to take charge of Granbury Lady Pirate basketball.
The move is a perfect fit for Thorpe who sold his home in Stephenville several years ago and bought a lake-side condo on Lake Granbury.
“We have been talking about this for several weeks,” Thorpe said. “This is not something I took lightly as I love Stephenville because it’s my home and I am humbled and honored to have coached her.”
Thorpe’s departure will leave big shoes for someone to fill after his 427-218 record at Stephenville which included 17 trips to the playoffs in his 19 years.
Ironically, Thorpe will be filling big shoes of his own as he takes over a historic basketball program that has wallowed about trying to find its way after the retirement of Lita Andrews.
Andrews won 1,416 high school basketball games – Nobody has more wins in high school and since her departure in 2014 Granbury girls’ basketball has started to fade away.
Someone jumped the gun on the announcement of Thorpe’s job offer early Monday which forced Thorpe to scramble and make sure he had informed people prior to the pending announcement of his hiring.
Thorpe has coached twice in Stephenville (98-04 & 09-18) and said making the announcement he was leaving a second time didn’t make the task any easier.
“I love this town, our school and the girls that I coached here,” Thorpe said. “The two hardest things I’ve ever had to do here is to tell the girls that I am leaving. I want to thank everyone for making my dreams here come true.”
Andrews was quick to get on the phone and lend support and congratulations on Thorpe’s hiring. The two coaches have a long history on and off the court and coached against each other every year before Andrews’ retirement.
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