SALAMANCA, N.Y. — Even though high school basketball season doesn’t begin for another several months, John Bennardi has already started his “dream” coaching job.
Bennardi, who will succeed Chuck Bell as head coach of the Bradford boys, leads the Owls in the Salamanca Summer League, a bi-weekly circuit that began last week. The eight-team league, which features two squads from Pennsylvania, is the first major stop on the path to the winter season.
“We’ve had very good turnout with kids for open gyms,” Bennardi said. “They seem to be excited and they seem to be buying in for what we’re trying to do here.”
Bennardi, a 1986 graduate of Bradford Area High School, boasts plenty of prior coaching experience. He spent over a decade at Ridgway, where he coached girls basketball for the last two seasons, as well as several years coaching freshman ball at Bradford under Dave Furman.
“It’s kind of coming full circle for me,” Bennardi said. “I moved back to Bradford about seven months ago and saw there was an opportunity, so I thought, why not?”
Bennardi was approved as the Owls’ head boys coach at the last district board meeting.
“It’s kind of my dream job and I’m very humbled by it,” Bernardi said. “A lot of big shoes to fill there as far as past head coaches. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but we’re up to it.”
Bennardi takes over a team that finished 8-11 a season ago before graduating four seniors. Attendance has flourished beyond local open gym sessions, as Bradford has averaged about 20 players at each Salamanca session thus far.
“We were fortunate to get into the league; it was kind of a last-minute thing and I’m glad we did,” Bennardi said. “There’s really good competition and a lot of teams we don’t normally see during the regular season. It’s the best thing for us.”
With Bennardi in charge, one thing is clear: The Owls will be held to the standard that he and his coaching staff establish.
“The standard is the standard,” Bennardi said. “There’s going to be a philosophy and a brand. As long as they buy in, and they play our way, they’re going to be successful.”
Bradford and District 9 rival Otto-Eldred will compete alongside seven New York teams, including five from Cattaraugus County, New (Olean, Allegany-Limestone, Ellicottville, Cattaraugus-Little Valley and Salamanca). Fredonia will also enhance the league’s competitiveness by making the trip from northwestern Chatauqua County.
As the season approaches, Bennardi will look to identify team leaders.
“We’ve talked about leadership, and I’m waiting for someone to really step up,” Bennardi said. “A few of them are starting to. You obviously want some senior leadership that can show them the right way to do things, then maybe someone takes over the reins next year and so on.”
The league will play on Tuesday and Wednesday nights leading up to an August 10 championship. Bradford fell to 1-3 in the league after losses to Salamanca and A-L on Wednesday, while O-E has started 0-3.
“The kids are working hard,” Bennardi said. “It’s going to take a lot of patience to get them to where we need them to, but I’m just overwhelmed by the support of the community and the fact that I have the opportunity to coach this team and this program.”
