Basketball is in his blood

By JoAnn R. Walter —

Chris Evans, Owego Free Academy English teacher and Boys Varsity Basketball and Golf Coach, looks back on his teaching and coaching career at OA Schools with gratitude. He has been teaching for a total of 31 years and coaching for 39, with 24 of those years at OFA.

This is his final season of coaching varsity basketball, and he finished his final season of coaching golf in the fall. His retirement is on the horizon, with a date to be determined.

Evans said he did the math once, and between coaching and teaching, he has collaborated with over 6,000 students and athletes. Today, Evans said, young people are kind and altruistic, respectful and responsible, and must navigate a world that is far more challenging than the one he grew up in.

He shared, “Former students are impacting the world. We have former students who are doctors, lawyers, teachers, coaches, musicians, writers, and mayors,” to name a few, and, “I am their biggest cheerleader.”

At the end of the day, in the classroom and on the court, Evans conveyed, “I firmly believe that kids now are the same as they’ve always been. They crave structure and discipline, especially if they aren’t getting that at home, and they want to be sure you care about them.”

Numerous students are the offspring of former students, too, and Evans noted, “It’s pretty special when I put two and two together.”

One of his students, and a basketball player this season, is the son of a member of Evans’ first-ever basketball team at OFA, and another player is the son of a former player as well.

He describes the opportunity to have had both of his own sons play on his basketball team, and one son who also played golf, as a blessing and a wonderful experience for all of them. Today, his son Dylan is an Assistant Basketball Coach at Richard Bland Junior College in Petersburg, Va. His son, Brendan, chose a finance path and works for Northwestern Mutual. Evans quipped that the world of finance can be as competitive as a basketball court.

Evans reminisced about his own early basketball days and reflected, “I was nourished at the Tioga County Boys Club,” by the likes of Charlie Sibley and countless others, and added, “They taught me how to play, how to toughen up, and how to compete.”

When asked about memorable moments, Evans commented that the three Sec. IV titles stand out and expressed, “Basketball is in my blood,” and that he is “completely obsessed with winning,” and he admitted to being “a terrifically terrible loser.”

Of course, he knows that winning isn’t everything and explained, “It’s more about the relationships that have been formed over the years. It brings joy to hear about former players who are having successful careers, or are starting their own families, or celebrating a significant event,” and added, “The victories are wonderful, but I remember the times spent off the court as much as anything on the court, and it is the relationships that are forged throughout a lifetime that will always carry more weight than a win-loss record.”

As for the 2025/26 basketball season already underway, Evans explained that it will be a great opportunity for the four OFA senior guards to show how the extra off-season work has benefited their play.

He remarked, “Basketball is a sport that demands off-season play. It takes time to learn how to pivot, pass, catch on the sprint, stop on a dime, dribble with both hands, pass to the pocket, post on the block, and shoot with proper spin and arc.”

As for golf, Evans has been coaching golf for upwards of 14 years and said, “I absolutely love it,” adding that he will miss the camaraderie shared between golf coaches and that he also enjoyed being a helpful instructor to golfers from other schools, too.

Interestingly, Evans didn’t originally plan to be a teacher and had not planned to return to Owego after his time at SUNY-Geneseo. At Geneseo, he played basketball under Coach Tom Pope, who, he said, taught him how to run competitive practices.

His Plan A goal was to be a sportscaster for ESPN, and then Plan B was to be a college basketball coach. Several chapters later, he ultimately chose to return to Owego, and after getting a taste of his Plan B.

An early chapter landed him a job at WEBO as a sportscaster, with news and disc jockeying thrown in the mix, while simultaneously coaching the freshman basketball team at OFA. It was 1987, and the team was still practicing and playing games at the old Junior High on Elm Street.

Another chapter took him to Northern Ireland to play and coach in 1989, where a 1990 OFA team headed up by Coach Tom Morrissey traveled there to play. Upon returning to the States in 1991, Evans focused on his Master’s Degree at SUNY-Cortland while also coaching the J.V. team at Owego.

It was while in Texas, another chapter, that he first taught at a public school and then taught English and coached basketball and golf at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas.

From that experience, he reflected that teaching was, “Who I was, not what I did.” 

Yet, a desire remained to find a college basketball coaching position. In the summer of 1996, he traveled to Charleston, S.C., and interviewed for an assistant coach position at the College of Charleston. It ended up being an opportunity like no other. Evans coached in the presence of a legendary head coach he admired, John Kresse.  Kresse, Evans said, had worked his way up after working with two of the most famous coaches in college basketball history, Joe Lapcheck and Lou Carnesseca. 

Evans stayed in Charleston for three years, and said, “It was absolutely magical,” and where the team made three straight NCAA tournament appearances, and was ranked as high as 16th.

What was even more magical, though, he married his wife, Frances, there. Evans is especially grateful for his wife’s support through the years and expressed, “She is the one who does it all and is the hardest worker I know.”

As for retirement, Evans and his wife would like to spend winters in a more appealing climate. Evans would also like to play more golf, catch up with old friends, and forge new adventures.

He recalls the wonderful teachers and students he has worked with and taught over the years. Many of those teachers have since retired, and he is pleased to see a few newer staff members making their mark.

Evans shared, “I am reminded, too, of all of the colleagues who have given me a most valuable commodity, their time.”

As for all of his students, Evans commented, “I am certain I have learned far more from my students than they have from me; it has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to spend these moments with them.”