DARLINGTON - Matt Fink is very familiar with Darlington. He graduated from the high school where his sister is currently a senior. Several members of his family live in town, his mom and aunt work for the school district, and he coached high school basketball there as a varsity assistant for the last 14 years. But when he steps onto the Darlington High School gym floor Thursday night, it will be around unfamiliar circumstances.
Fink is in his first year as head coach of the Pecatonica boys basketball team, having left his position as assistant to Darlington head coach Mike Hopkins, and Thursday will mark the first time he has ever coached from the opposing bench or even been in the opposing locker room.
Does he think it will feel weird?
"Yeah, I really do," he says.
"It'll definitely be a different feeling, but once the ball goes up it'll all be about (the game)."
It's a game just like any other, but it's also something more. And while he is preparing for it like he would any other game, Fink won't deny that he's excited to take on his old team.
"I think, for me personally, I've looked forward to this game," he said. "I'm excited to go back and play."
Fink officially left the Darlington coaching staff when he took the head coaching position at Pecatonica in July. As a courtesy, he informed Hopkins early on that he was applying.
"When I found out about the opening, the first person I talked to was Coach Hopkins," Fink said. "I said 'don't read into it, I'm just going to apply.'"
And Hopkins' response?
"He was my biggest supporter, he was great about it," Fink said. "He was very supportive in my decision."
Fink knew early on that if he got the job, he would have to return to Darlington to coach against Hopkins, as the Redbirds and Vikings face off once a year.
"Even as I was going through the process of applying, I kind of assumed that we would play each other," Fink said.
That didn't factor into his decision to take the job and only recently, as he prepares for his next opponent, has Fink paid much mind to the return. He and Hopkins have spoke during the course of the season but never about the game on Dec. 27.
"We haven't necessarily talked about our matchup, but we've crossed paths," Fink said. "Once you get into the season, your focus is on your team and what you have to do."
And Fink's focus is on his players. That much is clear. Even with all his connections to Darlington and his own personal anticipation to returning, when asked about the homecoming Fink is quick to stress that the game isn't about him.
"I want the focus to be on our team," he said.
It remains to be seen what all he brought with him when he took the Pecatonica job, but one thing that undoubtedly carried over was Fink's connection to players and his passion for helping them grow.
The Vikings' record is currently 3-4, and they are on pace to surpass their win total of four from a year ago. But when asked about how his season is going and the apparent improvement, Fink looks past the win total and puts the focus on his players.
Those players include sophomore Drew Schliem, who is quickly becoming the team's go-to scorer. Most recently, he scored 26 points in a comeback win in Belmont.
"We expected that from Drew," Fink said.
Regardless of expectations, Fink easily offers rapid fire accolades of his players.
Jon Hendrickson? "Great leader, and just a heck of an athlete," Fink said. Jordan Mabin? "Solid senior for us, doesn't make mistakes." Dillon Conwell, Nate Loyd, Brooks Chandler: Fink has positive things to say about each and every one of them.
It has only been seven games, but it is clear Fink is enjoying his new team, and he's looking for them to continue growing.
Loyd, the team's first guy off the bench, will not be at Thursday's game in Darlington since he is visiting family in Louisiana.
"We're going to need someone to step up and fill that spot," Fink said.
From a program standpoint, Fink is pleased where things are going.
"In terms of overall development, players and program, I think we're where we want to be," he said. "We started with 17 kids in the program, we've still got 17 kids in the program. We've started a new weightlifting regimen. Attitudes are good."
One thing may be missing.
Said Fink, "We still need to find that signature win."
An argument could be made that that win came against Belmont last week, when the Vikings orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback to edge the Braves 52-50 for their first road victory of the season. However, a bigger signature win could still be out there; it could even come as early as Thursday, in Darlington.
Fink said the Vikings face a tough matchup with the Redbirds and he should know, considering he coached most of them just a year ago. He describes the ins and outs of the Darlington squad with the same detail and clarity he emits when speaking of his own team.
"They give us some size problems," Fink said, of Darlington's Griffin Heinberg and Michael Ruf. "They're not a team we match up great (with). They do present some mismatch problems."
"I know Cole McDonald is their best player. We can't let him go crazy on us. He's a great kid, tough kid, who has a nose for playing."
The knowledge Fink has of his former players is considerable, but it may be surpassed by his affection for them.
"I want them to have unparalleled success," he said.
That said, Fink is a Viking now, so that desire will have to take a day off once a year: "I want them to win every game they play. Except that night that we play them, we're going to try and beat them."
Fink expects a fairly big crowd for Thursday's game, with high school kids, college students and adults all home for Christmas. And even though most of them know Fink from his days in Darlington and will greet him as he makes his own homecoming, the coach from Pecatonica is sure that they will be rooting against him and his Vikings.
"That's cool," he said "and that's the way it should be."
Fink is in his first year as head coach of the Pecatonica boys basketball team, having left his position as assistant to Darlington head coach Mike Hopkins, and Thursday will mark the first time he has ever coached from the opposing bench or even been in the opposing locker room.
Does he think it will feel weird?
"Yeah, I really do," he says.
"It'll definitely be a different feeling, but once the ball goes up it'll all be about (the game)."
It's a game just like any other, but it's also something more. And while he is preparing for it like he would any other game, Fink won't deny that he's excited to take on his old team.
"I think, for me personally, I've looked forward to this game," he said. "I'm excited to go back and play."
Fink officially left the Darlington coaching staff when he took the head coaching position at Pecatonica in July. As a courtesy, he informed Hopkins early on that he was applying.
"When I found out about the opening, the first person I talked to was Coach Hopkins," Fink said. "I said 'don't read into it, I'm just going to apply.'"
And Hopkins' response?
"He was my biggest supporter, he was great about it," Fink said. "He was very supportive in my decision."
Fink knew early on that if he got the job, he would have to return to Darlington to coach against Hopkins, as the Redbirds and Vikings face off once a year.
"Even as I was going through the process of applying, I kind of assumed that we would play each other," Fink said.
That didn't factor into his decision to take the job and only recently, as he prepares for his next opponent, has Fink paid much mind to the return. He and Hopkins have spoke during the course of the season but never about the game on Dec. 27.
"We haven't necessarily talked about our matchup, but we've crossed paths," Fink said. "Once you get into the season, your focus is on your team and what you have to do."
And Fink's focus is on his players. That much is clear. Even with all his connections to Darlington and his own personal anticipation to returning, when asked about the homecoming Fink is quick to stress that the game isn't about him.
"I want the focus to be on our team," he said.
It remains to be seen what all he brought with him when he took the Pecatonica job, but one thing that undoubtedly carried over was Fink's connection to players and his passion for helping them grow.
The Vikings' record is currently 3-4, and they are on pace to surpass their win total of four from a year ago. But when asked about how his season is going and the apparent improvement, Fink looks past the win total and puts the focus on his players.
Those players include sophomore Drew Schliem, who is quickly becoming the team's go-to scorer. Most recently, he scored 26 points in a comeback win in Belmont.
"We expected that from Drew," Fink said.
Regardless of expectations, Fink easily offers rapid fire accolades of his players.
Jon Hendrickson? "Great leader, and just a heck of an athlete," Fink said. Jordan Mabin? "Solid senior for us, doesn't make mistakes." Dillon Conwell, Nate Loyd, Brooks Chandler: Fink has positive things to say about each and every one of them.
It has only been seven games, but it is clear Fink is enjoying his new team, and he's looking for them to continue growing.
Loyd, the team's first guy off the bench, will not be at Thursday's game in Darlington since he is visiting family in Louisiana.
"We're going to need someone to step up and fill that spot," Fink said.
From a program standpoint, Fink is pleased where things are going.
"In terms of overall development, players and program, I think we're where we want to be," he said. "We started with 17 kids in the program, we've still got 17 kids in the program. We've started a new weightlifting regimen. Attitudes are good."
One thing may be missing.
Said Fink, "We still need to find that signature win."
An argument could be made that that win came against Belmont last week, when the Vikings orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback to edge the Braves 52-50 for their first road victory of the season. However, a bigger signature win could still be out there; it could even come as early as Thursday, in Darlington.
Fink said the Vikings face a tough matchup with the Redbirds and he should know, considering he coached most of them just a year ago. He describes the ins and outs of the Darlington squad with the same detail and clarity he emits when speaking of his own team.
"They give us some size problems," Fink said, of Darlington's Griffin Heinberg and Michael Ruf. "They're not a team we match up great (with). They do present some mismatch problems."
"I know Cole McDonald is their best player. We can't let him go crazy on us. He's a great kid, tough kid, who has a nose for playing."
The knowledge Fink has of his former players is considerable, but it may be surpassed by his affection for them.
"I want them to have unparalleled success," he said.
That said, Fink is a Viking now, so that desire will have to take a day off once a year: "I want them to win every game they play. Except that night that we play them, we're going to try and beat them."
Fink expects a fairly big crowd for Thursday's game, with high school kids, college students and adults all home for Christmas. And even though most of them know Fink from his days in Darlington and will greet him as he makes his own homecoming, the coach from Pecatonica is sure that they will be rooting against him and his Vikings.
"That's cool," he said "and that's the way it should be."
