It is not often that a person finds himself in a position he wanted but isn't happy about being there.
Wauwatosa West interim boys basketball coach Chad Stelse finds himself in that position though, as he and fellow assistant coach Ryan Bailey have stepped in for head coach Mike Landisch, who is battling kidney cancer.
"Obviously, no, this is not the position I would want to be in right now. But we got to do what we need to do to keep this thing going for Coach, especially with four seniors who have been on the varsity for four years. We also owe it to them to keep the guys going and try to keep the guys going at a high level."
Woodland runner-up
The Trojans are in second place in the Woodland Conference Black Division with an 11-3 record. They are 13-4 overall and had won five straight under Stelse and Bailey going into this week's big game at unbeaten New Berlin Eisenhower on Tuesday (see separate story).
"Coach (Landisch) got them playing at a high level," Stelse said. "They were just peaking. It's twice as hard for him (to leave). I could see it in his eyes that last game. He didn't mention it, but I could see it that we were getting to that level and then this happened. We're playing at a high level and we're trying to keep it going."
Landisch had always given Stelse and Bailey plenty of responsibility and was always open to listening to what they had to say - at practice and during games - so the adjustment has not been as difficult as it could have been.
"We handled the pre-practice stuff. The breakdown drills and everything," Bailey said. "Coach always trusted us with that. We'd come with a game plan. Now we just have to do the 5-on-5 stuff as well.
"Mike was always good about taking our suggestions. And if we designed a practice he would let us run some drills and he always asked for our input. Now it's just Chad and I. We still talk to Mike every couple days. It's a little more responsibility, but it's not that out of the ordinary."
Sharing the load
Where as Stelse and Bailey are co-coaches, Stelse stands on the sidelines during games and Bailey works from the bench. But like in practice, not a lot has changed.
"We're going to do as much as we can for each other," Bailey said. "We've been doing the substitutions the last two years for Mike. Now Chad's been doing much more of the game stuff, where I still handle the subs.
"I can calm him down if I see stuff. He can get a little emotional. He still has that assistant's eye where he still looks at different stuff, but now he has more administrative things. But we still are able to bounce things off each other because we have been working together for five years."
Both Stelse and Bailey are handling the coaching well, but, not knowing what the future holds for their good friend, there are emotions to deal with as well.
"The pressure about what's going on with Coach - I want these guys to perform so well for him," Stelse said. "I've been having trouble sleeping, and I know coach Bailey is the same way. Every win we have I feel puts a smile on his face, and that's what we're trying to do."
Playing for coach
Bailey will never forget how he found out that Landisch had cancer.
"When he told me I was in my basement and I just dropped my phone," he said. "I broke down. I felt bad for him. He's 30. He has a little girl, just got his first teaching job. It's one of the toughest things I've ever had to do. I've been coaching with Mike for seven years now, ever since I graduated (from Tosa West).
"It's just starting to settle in when he's not there every day. I'm used to seeing him every day for basketball. It's really tough; it's hard to deal with. When he's around you have to try and be positive. For him it's a nice release for basketball. But you're never going to get used to it the rest of the year."
Stelse was happy with the way things were before the diagnosis, and he hopes it will be that way again.
"I felt so comfortable with my position," he said. "I wanted to stay in that position unless something for sure came up. This isn't something that I want. The only thing I want is to keep the guys playing at a high level for Coach.
"That's our No. 1 goal."
WEST 81, GREENFIELD 58
Feb. 12 at Tosa West
Seniors Ray Sterling, Sam Krenzien and Alexander Gordon combined for 51 points in the win, scoring 23, 16 and 12 points, respectively. Gordon, a 6-foot-6-inch forward has moved into the starting lineup lately and has given the Trojans some needed height.
UP NEXT
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Greendale at Tosa West
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
at South Milwaukee
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