West Bladen boys’ basketball coach Travis Pait, right, accepts the NCBCA Coach of the Year award from organization president Greg Grantham on Monday in Greensboro.
Contributed photo
GREENSBORO – West Bladen High School’s Travis Pait was recognized Monday as the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for boys’ basketball.
Pait, 47, guided the Knights to a 27-2 record and a berth in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 2A Final Four last season. West Bladen lost to Northwood 57-38 in the state semifinals in Winston-Salem.
“I’ve never been an awards guy,” Pait said, “but this one did mean something as far as having your peers vote on it.”
Pait was informed he had won the award in March and it was presented Monday by NCBCA President Greg Grantham during the annual N.C. Coaches Association meeting.
“It was neat,” Pait said. “I had a couple of friends from coaching in college who made the trip to see me get the award.”
Led by Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Chase Williams, West Bladen won its first seven games last season before losing at Farmville Central 66-58 on Dec. 19. The Knights then reeled off 20 straight wins, including a 68-66 victory at Farmville Central in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs.
West Bladen has posted a 51-4 record the past two seasons led by Williams, Jackson Pait and Hezekiah Adams.
Pait has coached the Knights to an 81-26 record the past four seasons since the 2020-21 COVID season when teams only played a dozen games, won at least 20 games in a season five times and has a 203-149 record in his 14 seasons at West Bladen, according to information on MaxPreps.
Pait also coached high school basketball at South Robeson, Harrells Christian Academy and Hoke County. He came to West Bladen in 2011 after taking two years off from coaching. His first team, led by D.J. Mason, went 21-8.
Pait, a 1996 Bladenboro High School graduate, was a member of the Bulldogs’ 1994 state championship basketball team under coach Junior Nance.
Other NCBCA award winners were:
• Girls’ Coach of the Year: Zach McCartha, McDowell High.
• Ron Miller Memorial Distinguished Service Award: Mark Harnly, Camden County High.
• Coaches vs. Cancer Award: Bryson Payne, Watauga High.
• National Coaches vs. Cancer Award: Chad Williams, First Flight High.
Sonny Jones can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @FOSonnyJones.