Coach Bill King (Bois Forte Ojibwe): A Living Legend in Minnesota High School Boys Basketball Coaching

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

Place visiting living legends in athletic coaching a top priority today.

Last week we visited a living legend. Coach Bill King, 88 years old, coached boy’s high school basketball for 35 years at Orr High School near his Bois Forte Band of Indian Reservation community of Nett Lake. Orr H.S. recently became known as North Woods High School.

It may seem like Bill is his middle name and Coach is his first name. No one calls him Bill King. He is always called Coach Bill King.

My wife Susan and I made our second 330 mile round trip in eight days from our home in Red Lake to Virginia, Minnesota.  We also wanted to see the pre-peak fall colors on our trip. We need to go back soon not only to see the fall colors in peak time but also to visit our new friend Coach Bill King.

Coach Bill is a humble coach. He doesn’t talk about his honors but he does talk about being honored to be a teacher first and a coach second. His awards include being a Minnesota Hall of Fame Coach as well as a State American Indian Educator of the Year.

Our restaurant lunch visit was special during our second meeting. The excitement of being a teacher was displayed by all three of us because that is what we do and did in our careers. Basketball talk was secondary at the initial time of our visit.

Coach Bill earned the right to win. He exemplifies the adage ‘show character and don’t be a character’. He practiced what he preached by being the example he would lead his players and program to be. “I lived my whole life as I did my coaching philosophy and morals,” said Coach Bill. “I never drank alcohol or smoked a day in my life.”

Coach Bill’s mother was full blood Ojibwe and his father was half Ojibwe and half English and Irish. He grew up hearing and speaking Ojibwemowin with his elders who did not speak English at all. Today he can understand Ojibwemowin when he hears it but can’t put two words together to speak and have a conversation. His father believed he’d be better off speaking English only.

“I had three grandparents that didn’t speak English,” said Coach Bill. “I couldn’t understand Ojibwe when it was spoken but I could when it was written down.”

Our table talk turned to describing a few of his many philosophy statements. He talked about the ‘1 or 2 or 20’: “I would ask my team how much do you want to win this game by. Most of the time it was 1 or 2,” said Coach Bill. “Game play was decided by what the team wanted it to be. Teams get better by winning close games but this philosophy also may have contributed to a loss.”

Coach Bill teams were known for their defense. The adage, “Can’t beat you if you don’t score” is also evident for Orr Braves basketball. Defense wins games and championships. “We played a half court zone with man principles,” said Coach Bill. “After my career I realized our defensive average was 41 points a game.”

Starting a basketball program at the elementary level may ensure winning success in the future. Coach Bill started at the primary level with kindergarten basketball.

During our first meeting, Coach Bill showed us a picture of the Nett Lake Elementary School trophy case devoted to him and Orr Braves Basketball. On the bottom of the trophy case there were words that stated, ‘I did it and you can do it’. “I added to these words to read, ‘I did it and you can do it better’,” said Coach Bill.

All coaches have team rules. The Coach Bill team rules were called, The Guidelines to Success, and included team rules, diet and other training information. These rules were the guidelines to the signature winning boys basketball program. When a player was given the manual, “he knew he was ‘It’,” said Coach Bill. It was the standard that evolved to a higher standard by each varsity team that would get it the next year. This is the student-centered education philosophy of new that started at Orr High School fifty plus years ago. Each varsity team would make additions to team rules to make them their own.

“One time I was almost reported to the American Civil Liberties Union by a school principal. I listed rules that said ‘you will do this’ and I had to change the words to ‘it is recommended you will do this’, added Coach Bill.

Coach Bill reflected on a story working with parents. “A fourth grader asked how he could get to be 6-5,” recounted Coach Bill. “I told him he had to get a leather basketball and rub it in a circular way fifty times a night. His Dad called me and in a loud voice asked me what I was thinking. By the time this boy was a senior in high school he was 6-7!” This was Paul Heuper who went on to play at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1982-83.

Table talk also included tribal politician comments. Coach Bill recounted knowing the late long time tribal chairman of the Red Lake Nation, Roger Jourdain. Susan Ninham is also Red Lake Ojibwe.

“I knew Roger Jourdain as a politician. He knew me. We would see each other at different times. He was a brilliant man,” said Coach Bill.

The X’s and O’s are always fodder for enlightened discussion among coaches. Innovative plays at tenuous times during big games are remembered forever. Coach Bill was a borrower from other coaches like so many other coaches. Always looking for the right play and thought was on his mind from day one in the profession of teaching and coaching.

Role Model Coach William “Bill King” was a book published by Damion Paulson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) in 1998 while he was in college.  The author started his high school and college basketball coaching soon after. The book in PDF form is available at no cost by emailing coach.danninham@gmail.com. The book will be emailed to all schools in St. Louis County, Minnesota today. “I want all native, and non-native, kids to read this book,” said Damion recently.

A few former athletes and fellow coach’s comments that competed against Coach Bill King are included. The coaches each have their own remarkable legacies.

Bob McDonald, Winningest Minnesota high school basketball coach and patriarch of perhaps the first Minnesota Basketball Family, Chisholm High School: I was very, very worried every time we played Orr when Coach Bill King was their coach. He would play to the last second of the game. He got the most out of his kids that any coach could get and that’s what always worried me. He was not only a good coach. He was a good teacher.

John Jirik, Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, North Woods High School: When I was first hired in Orr in 1991 as a Social Studies teacher and Head football coach, I was also given the position of Assistant basketball coach. I had the pleasure of working with Bill King in basketball for 2 years before he retired. Coach King had a phenomenal basketball mind but more importantly the knowledge of the kids and families in the Orr area. He knew how to get the best out of each kid and coach. Bill had high expectations for everyone he coached. He also practiced what he preached and maintained high standards for himself. He was highly respected by most people that I met. I am still amazed at how much I learned about coaching, teaching, basketball, kids and the Orr area in the few years that I worked with Bill. He helped me get started in my career and had a huge impact on my success. 

Damion Paulson, author of Coach Bill King book: Coach Ranta was his assistant at Orr. When I played for Coach Ranta he would always speak highly of Coach King. Being a native hooper and knowing I wanted to coach one day I always tried to speak with Coach King whether at a game in Orr or a section playoff game. He would always take time to talk to me about hoops and really life in general. He was always good to me.

I can’t narrow it down to just one talk but I would say the two things I would take out of his talks were his commitment to discipline and the way he cared about his players. I think those two things stuck out to me the most.

Glen Erickson, 1972-73: Coach Bill King was a teacher and a coach. He scouted the opponents. He would tell you to follow through with what he taught you to be successful. Coach Bill knew how to work with young people. I admire him because he always was a great teacher and a great coach.

Nathan Dahlman, 1975-76: Most important he is Coach. There’s not a lot to do in the little town of Orr but be in the gym. All we had to do was stop at his house and pick up the key to the gym. We didn’t have to worry about supervision like kids do now. This is one of the reasons why he was so special. I went into education because of Coach Bill King. My three mentors were John Kundla, my father in law and also Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and former coach of the Minneapolis Lakers and University of Minnesota, our priest Fr. Nicholas Zimmer, and Coach Bill King. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He would teach every successful person to pass the gift of hard work. He didn’t believe in the individual. He believed in the community first and the school second. Then he would believe in the team. You can be successful at a small school. How special it was representing the people of Orr and Nett Lake. Continue to give the gifts. He was an inspiration of believing in all players, the good or not so good, all were special, and a part of the journey. Note: Nathan and wife Kathy are the humble patriarch and matriarch of another Minnesota basketball family. Son’s Isaiah and Noah helped the Braham HS Bombers win three consecutive Minnesota Class AA state championships from 2004-06 and all family members attended college and played basketball. Daughters Hannah and Rebekah helped Braham advance to five state basketball tournaments winning the 2011 Class AA state championship. Rebekah was the 2013 Minnesota Miss Basketball with 5,060 career points. Additional family members stories could take up several more pages.

Don Ranta, personal friend and former head coach at AlBrook High School: My first job was at Orr. What I remember the most was standing in the hall with Coach Bill and a girl walked by us. Coach Bill greeted her and said, “How are you?” I didn’t say anything. He said to me, “You too good to say good morning?” This followed me the rest of my career going from school to school. I would greet kids to let them know they are welcome. It would take five years to compete and to follow young kids in elementary programs. He was task-oriented. He was the taskmaster. You don’t see happy losers. Go to many activities in school and you need to know parents in the informal times. I had health problems with seizures that happened when I retired. One doctor thought it was sleep apnea. I haven’t had one in over 12 years. During the time of seizures I lost a lot of my memory. But going through that time I always remembered one thing. I remembered Coach Bill King’s phone number at Orr High School. The only phone number I remembered. I forgot my families phone numbers. But I remembered Coach Bill’s work phone number.

John Cook, 1983-84: I played my senior year for Coach King. We beat the #1 team in the state in the region tournament that had 50 straight wins and were the 1983 state champions. He had a way of making you play better than you thought you could and to believe in yourself. Note: John and Jack Cook are 6-6 twins.

Jack Cook, 1983-84: Coach King was a good motivator; in preparing for a game he would ask you if you were ready for the game, if you hesitated or showed any uncertainty he would get the team together and drill it into you that you were ready and that you could beat the team you were going to face. He was not a very large man but he carried himself with a lot of authority and you wanted to do what he said; you wanted to win for him.  He gave you confidence to face an opposing team, and life, with the same enthusiasm. I only had him for a head coach my senior year and that’s the year we went to state, 1984. 

Jerry Chiabotti, personal friend, former head coach at Bigfork High School and current assistant coach at North Woods: I have had the honor of being able to know and coach against coach King since 1972. He built the program at Orr from the bottom up. His record speaks for itself. He was an old school coach: strict, demanding, fair and very hardworking. I am still close to him. He is a great supporter of the NW Grizzlies. He was and will always be (as the newspaper dubbed him 40 years ago), “The King of the County”.

Mike LaRoque, 1979-84: I am the youngest LaRoque boy in our family to have played Basketball for Coach Bill King at Orr High School. I played from 1979 to 1984 with 1984 State Tourney appearance. The LaRoque family had three other brothers play Basketball for Coach King, My oldest brother Ronald “George” LaRoque played from 1971 to 1976 with 1976 State Tourney appearance. My older brother David LaRoque played for Coach King 1973 to 1978 with a 1978 State Tourney appearance. My older brother William LaRoque played for Coach King from 1977 to 1982. Coach King was a great coach with a style of coaching that was full of discipline and great leadership. I would have to say that Coach King’s direction was a good influence on everyone that he coached. He was also the Physical Education Teacher at Orr High School for many years. I would say that his discipline and guidance help me and my brothers through the years become the men that we are today.

Rick Appleby, Orr Brave class of 1973: Growing up in Orr brings back great memories. My Family lived next door to Coach King. My Brothers also played for Coach. Growing up with no Dad, Coach King along with my brothers were my role models.  Coach always had a plan, at the beginning of the season he would sit us in the bleachers, not just a few of us but everybody in the Basketball program and go thru his Orr Braves Guidelines to Success.  This guide is something that has stayed with me my whole life.  The Orr Braves team of 1973 brought the first District 27 tournament trophy that year. It was really a magical year and Coach King has us believing that. We were all great teammates. On the team included Greg Olson, Glen Erickson, Rocky King, Tom Wurr, Gerald Goggeleye, Pete Glowaski, Tom Antikainen, and Larry Conners. Great bunch of teammates with a great coach. Thanks Coach King for staying In Orr for my whole Orr Brave career. Anyone who played for Coach will agree.

Paul McDonald, Chisholm High School player and former head coach at Vermilion Community College: My senior year 1976, Orr was an up and coming force on the range for a St. Louis County school. Won district 27 in 1973 and Chisholm beats them in the semifinals. Rematch in 1976 and I can still see Coach King with both fists in the air facing the Orr crowd after beating us. I was sad but also happy for them because the Braves ran their program just like Chisholm and we had grown up playing them. I guarantee there was NOBODY left in Orr when they played in the state tournament. Fast forward to 1985, my first game coaching at Cotton and it happened to be against the Orr Braves. Thank goodness he was nice to me. Coach King has always had a very good relationship with my Dad (Bob McDonald). They both are true legends in this area. I see Coach King a lot at high school games and I always look forward to his insight into the game of life.