ELIZABETHTOWN — In front of the smiles of players and the pride of his wife and three children, Aking Elting was formally introduced as East Bladen High School varsity boys basketball coach Thursday afternoon.
A press conference in the media center brought together the main members of the Eagles’ basketball family. The school’s principal, Dr. Jason Wray, gave a brief introduction and Patty Evers, the athletics director, offered words of encouragement.
But Elting needs little in the way of introductions. He’s the rare player who played for both the old and new East Bladen, and he’s been with the junior varsity staff as head coach the last two years after one year as an assistant.
“Like a dream come true,” he responded as players led the press conference questions. “There’s a bright future for us.”
Elting was approved by the school board at its last meeting April 8. He told the players his assistants will be Jay Raynor and Tommy Taylor.
In the school’s final season before consolidation, Elting as a junior helped lead the East Bladen Cougars to the state 2-A championship 75-65 over Lexington. His senior team, the East Bladen Eagles, lost in the Eastern Regional semifinals — or state quarterfinals — to North Pitt.
But success for the program has been hard to come by since. Following a winning 2006-07 campaign, the Eagles have endured records below .500 nine times. The last three under former head coach Kenzil McCall were 4-23, 5-19 and 4-20, with an 8-42 mark in league play.
“It’s a hard job,” Elting said he told the search committee of Wray, Evers, Heather Thompson, an assistant principal; Sunday Allen, a teacher at the school; and Paul Evans, parent of two athletes at the school. “When you’re in college as a student-athlete, it’s one of toughest jobs. I’m here to prepare them. I’m going to take their kid as far as I can take them.”
Elting’s success at East Bladen led to a collegiate career first at the College of Southern Idaho, then closer to home at Mount Olive.
Given a choice, he’d like his teams to work the full 94 feet. That said, he’ll analyze his talent and make choices.
“If you get a kid individually better, his skills will come easy,” the 35-year-old first-time varsity head coach said. “Just give 110 percent every time. I’ll take hard work over talent any day.”
The four-year high school varsity letterman said the major influences on his game were his older brother, Sakrid Dent, and famed college and pro players Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. He also acknowledged his former prep coach, Alvin Thompson.
“There’s a lot that I do that came from him,” he said. “How I press — he was a heck of a defensive coach.”
Elting lives in Fayetteville and works as a certified personal trainer. He credited Raynor for getting him into coaching here. The school doesn’t have teacher vacancies currently, but he plans to work as a substitute teacher in the upcoming academic year.
“I’m a full-fledged coach,” he said.
Wray read an impressive list of accomplishments for Elting as a player and said he would begin as the leader of the program immediately. Evers said she’s enjoyed exchanges with him as he watched her teams practice and she looked in on his.
“He’ll tell you that your grades will come first,” she told the group. “We’re looking forward to working together.”
Wray praised the players for questions that showed their care for the program. In answer to one, Elting said there would be summer workouts and added, “We have to stay with each other so it can transfer over to the court. We have to develop chemistry. It’s about family.”
One of which has been warmly welcomed home to the varsity coaching ranks.
The introductory press conference for East Bladen’s Aking Elting included questions and answers for players that included plenty of smiles.
Aking Elting, at his introductory press conference Thursday, is flanked by principal Dr. Jason Wray (left) and athletics director Patty Evers.