Fourteen years after arriving from Hamilton with two state championships on his resume, Tom Blackford might return there after announcing early this week that he is stepping down as Fayetteville-Manlius boys basketball coach.
The 63-year-old Blackford informed F-M players and officials of his decision, saying that, while the decision was difficult, he felt it was time to go.
F-M’s program was mired near the bottom of the local large-school ranks when Blackford was hired in 2002. He arrived having gone 317-138 in 20 years coaching at Hamilton, including those two state titles (in 1994 and 200) and a 111-12 mark in his last five seasons with the Emerald Knights.
From 2002 to 2006, the Hornets won 40 games, but then it really took off in the decade that followed. Helped by stars like John Schurman (who became the school’s all-time leading scorer) and Jake Wittig (who set the school career mark for assists), F-M went 140-70 in those 10 years.
Five different times, F-M earned league titles, but success in the Section III Class AA playoffs proved more elusive, the Hornets unable to get past the semifinal round.
During his tenure at F-M, Blackford also taught physical education and coached several other sports, ranging from football to girls lacrosse and softball. his 497 total wins ranks fifth all-time among Section III coaches.
Blackford still lives in Morrisville, and there’s already talk about him returning to coach at nearby Hamilton, who has finished below .500 (138-153) in the last 14 seasons. Joe LePage just finished his first season as head coach for the Emerald Knights, where his team went 12-10.
And this move came just a week after Mike Adey, the all-time Section III coaching wins leader, retired after leading New York Mills to a pair of state Class D titles. Ironically, Adey’s last game with the Marauders was a loss in the sectional final to eventual state champion Oriskany – who had topped Hamilton earlier in the sectional tournament.
