Tech coach: 'I want to make sure people know positive things can happen in IPS basketball'

Michael Fox had a vision in mind when he applied for and eventually accepted the position of head girls basketball coach at Tech.

School pride had been lost over the years, he said, and as the son of two Tech graduates and a proud Eastside guy himself, the Warren Central alum wanted to revitalize that "Tech Pride."

"I wanted to bring a different product," Fox said following a 74-38 win over Herron in the City tournament. "That's the biggest thing that drew me to the job. I wanted to come and rebuild a program that I know can compete night in and night out."

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The team's sixth different coach in seven seasons, Fox tries to teach life lessons in addition to basketball, holding players accountable for their actions, on and off the court, while also facilitating communication and cooperation during practice and in games. There were growing pains initially, he acknowledged, but his players have since bought in.

Fox backed his pledge with action, and those actions have gradually begun producing results.

The Titans collected their seventh win Monday night, more than the past two seasons combined (6) and the most overall since they finished 14-11 in 2015-16. Fox pointed out a few that got away earlier in the year (four losses by three points or less), but with three regular-season games remaining before sectionals, Tech (7-13) still has a chance to reach 10 wins for the fourth time since 2005-06.

"It feels different," said junior point guard Kayla Lacombe, who's averaging over 21 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. "The atmosphere is different. The whole team feels different. It's just better altogether. … We play more together. This is more like a family."

Lacombe was the primary catalyst against Herron, matching her season-high with 28 points on a season-high 10 field goals and five 3-pointers. That type of performance is fairly typical of Lacombe, but she was no-less enthusiastic when the Titans began emptying their bench in the second half, proudly cheering on her teammates alongside the other starters as they closed out the school's first City tournament win since 2020.

"She's been the glue for our program," Fox said. "Kayla's been very important and we have to continue to lean on kids like her who've been here for a long time. She's been through a couple coaches, but she bought in early to what I was selling them. I told them, 'Hey, if you want to get better, we can get in the gym whenever.' She was there with me."

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Fox hopes the energy being cultivated within the program will spread throughout the community. He wants them to feel like they're part of what's going on, he said, and has been building connections and inviting alumni back to games.

"I want to make sure people know positive things can happen in IPS basketball," Fox said.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana girls basketball: Michael Fox trying to revitalize Tech High